


Anything but Normal

by DAsObiQuiet



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: F/M, Gen, Hidden/forgotten memories, Inner Struggle, Man vs. Self
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-09
Updated: 2016-01-23
Packaged: 2017-12-31 22:55:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 152,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1037357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DAsObiQuiet/pseuds/DAsObiQuiet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fifteen years after the Promised Day, Selim Baker leads a life like any normal human. Then an attempt on his life throws his world into chaos and begins to show him just how much of a monster he really is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_**Time period: 15 years after the chosen day, FMA Brotherhood** _

_A red vortex of anguish and horror swirled around him, overwhelming and stifling to almost anyone else, but he took no heed. Instead, he focused on something far more terrifying.  The dark haired man before him opened his mouth to laugh.  He should have been destroyed!  He should have lost his identity in this storm of souls, instead he somehow had found the presence of mind to...hinder? Yes, but it was more than that...to...._

_And he pushed back, desperately trying to stop the man…_

_From doing what?_

_Something important, but that was all he knew. He couldn't recall specifics._

_The dark-haired man spoke, but no sound came out of his smiling mouth. The cruel grin held no reassurance. Instead, it promised nothing but pain. The man seemed to revel in the overwhelming negative atmosphere around them._

_A young voice yelled out, and he realized it was him, although he couldn't make those words out either. It was a protest of some sort, directed at the dark-haired man, but the other figure only laughed and turned his back as an arm from a completely different being came reaching out for him followed by two determined, golden eyes._

_Desperation and panic raced through him as he tried with all his might to avoid the hand, but it clamped down on his head and-_

"NO!" Selim Baker gasped, shooting bolt up in his bed. It took him a moment to focus on his surroundings. Just his room. His plain, old, ordinary room. No swirling vortex of pain and suffering, no insane, dark haired man, no reaching hand or challenging eyes. It took a moment, but he finally began to feel his racing heartbeat slow down.

It had been a long time since he'd had that dream. More than a year. Taking several deep breaths, he willed his body to relax again. Absently, he reached a hand up to rub at the scar on his head. Two perfect circles, one inside the other. His mother had told him it was a birth mark, but he later came to the conclusion that it had to be a scar. Birthmarks didn't look like strange targets. It had become a sort of nervous habit to rub at it.

Slowly, his muscles began to unclench and he relaxed down onto the bed again. Still rubbing his scar, he glanced at clock on the night stand beside his bed. 2:14 AM. He needed to get back to sleep if he wanted to be somewhat coherent for school tomorrow. Sighing, he flipped his pillow over to the opposite side. The cool material felt good against his skin.

As his body finally calmed down enough for him to begin drifting off, his eyes found the moon hanging in plain view through the window next to his bed; a half circle shimmering in the black-blue of the sky. Normally he would have scowled and turned away. He'd never really cared for moonlight; appreciating that it gave some light to the night time darkness, but not liking how it made the world seem cold and unwelcoming. Usually he much preferred the sun. But tonight, the soft glow gave off a quiet comfort in calm waves that seemed to wrap around him, lulling him thankfully back to sleep.

By 2:20, he was already out.

xXx

"Selim!" Dark hair over equally dark eyes turned towards the voice that had called out to him. He smiled when he saw his best friend come running up, breathing heavily. Johannus Browbeat, son of Col. Albert Browbeat, had never exactly been athletic. Slightly plump, with thick, blond hair combed to the side, he was a perfect picture of a child born to status, especially compared to Selim's thin, rather wiry frame.

"Johan," Selim greeted as he waited for the boy to catch his breath. "Are you ready for the test?"

"You kiddin'?" Johan returned Selim's grin full force. The dark-haired boy almost laughed outright. The one area Johan didn't seem to fit into 'elite' society was the way he talked. He happened to be the only boy attending St. Bartimus' Academy that Selim knew of who didn't care to use language that would be considered more 'posh'. His language wasn't exactly modern slang, but Selim still found it entertaining. Most of the other students considered themselves too good to associate with language used by the common masses. "I stayed up all friggin' night long plowin' through this monster." With that, he waved the large text book with the title _A Study of Amestris' Historical Events_ in front of his friend.

Selim shook his head. He'd believe that when he saw it. Johan got good enough grades to normally keep his parents off of his back, and that was about as far as it went. He highly doubted that Johan had put in as much effort as he claimed.

Then again, that was part of what made Johan Johan, and Selim had long ago concluded that he wouldn't have it any other way. Not that he didn't try to urge his friend to get better grades. Selim knew that when properly motivated, Johan could give him a run for his money on intelligence.

"Come on," Selim grinned, turning back towards the school.

"Don't you think it's creepy?" Johan asked.

Selim paused, blinking. "Don't I think what's creepy?"

"We're taking a test on Fuhrer Bradly's term in office," the blond replied as if that explained everything.

"So?" Selim asked, wondering what Johan was getting at.

"You're named after his kid, right?"

Ah, so that was what the blond meant. "Selim Bradly, the adopted son of the 23rd Fuhrer who was killed in the coup? Yes."

"Don't you think it's creepy, talking about the kid who you were named after, who _died?_ Who looks a lot like you too…"

Selim shrugged. "Children are named after famous people all the time," he responded. "Why should it bother me?"

Johan shook his head. "It'd totally freak me out."

Selim raised an eyebrow. He'd heard that term used before, just not from his friend. "Is that a new phrase?"

Belying his 15 years, Johan just stuck out his tongue. Selim rolled his eyes. "Mature." He paused for a few moments before shrugging and continuing on his walk to school. They still had several blocks to go.

The blond fell into step beside him, still trying to fully recover from his short sprint and tucking the book back inside his bag. Selim shook his head and thought back on his own study session. His grin faded.

"I asked about my parents again last night."

Johan immediately sobered. "And?" he asked.

"She still refuses to tell me anything. No clues and no hints. Just the same pathetic promises she's used since I was six. I could be reading about them in that history book and I wouldn't know it." His frown deepened. "I don't even know their names." He'd asked about his parents on a semi-regular basis for as long as he could remember, and the only thing his adopted mother had ever told him was that they had died in the Coup d'etat staged by those closest to Fuhrer Bradley. "She told me she'd tell me when I'm older...again."

"That excuse is gettin' kinda old," Johan muttered in agreement.

"It got old ten years ago," Selim replied, his voice equally low. "It kind of worries me. I get the idea that they were involved in something serious."

Johan nodded, looking thoughtful. "Maybe they were undercover agents, or in the Fuhrer's personal bodyguard entail, or something cool like that."

"Maybe," Selim murmered.

"That would be awesome!" Johan said with a grin, then turned to look up at the leaves on the trees that lined the street as the rustled in the wind. "It really does bite that you don't have any idea. Your father could have been the Fuhrer himself for all we know."

Selim snorted. "Yeah, right. Fuhrer Bradley couldn't have children, remember?" That had been an undisputed fact that he remembered reading in more than one text.

"Well, your mom did used to work for him. She'd be close enough to look after his kid," Johan continued, now teasing more than anything else.

"That was before she took me in," Selim responded with an eyeroll, knowing his friend was referring to his adopted mother.

"And she's related to Madam Bradley, right?"

Selim frowned in response. He had always thought it a bit...uncanny that he looked so much like Selim Bradley and his adopted mother looked like Fuhrer Bradley's wife. They could truly be related, or Selim could be just a random child orphaned in the coup, taken in because he happened to look like the Fuhrer's son. But that was the frustrating thing; he just didn't know.

Johan shrugged, sensing his friend's uneasiness. "I'm just sayin'. You'd totally be like a prince or something."

Rolling his eyes again, Selim glanced over at his friend and couldn't help but smile. All of his frustration seemed so meaningless when Johan was around. His natural optimism just seemed to infect everything. It was hard to not smile right along with him, no matter how angry Selim had been before hand. He'd never openly admit how much Johan's antics amused him.

His pride wouldn't let him.

xXx

_Later that day_

"I don't think I'll ever get used to Mr. Polluck," Johan muttered as he dejectedly examined his most recent foreign country report. It looked almost tattered with all the red marks scattered across the page. At least he'd done fairly well on the history test. "Why should I care if the country of Manipal eats differently than us? It's an island in the middle of the ocean for goodness sake! I don't get it, and I don't think I ever will."

"It's not that difficult," Selim muttered back. His own report had been neatly shuffled into his book bag with the rest of the papers. He'd been rather upset at the score of 97, but after noticing the marks of the other students, he hadn't complained. At least not openly. Still, he'd always taken a certain amount of pride in his high, nearly perfect scores.

"Says the genius Baker," Johan muttered, stuffing his paper into his own bag and running a hand through his sand-colored hair. "Hey, Selim," he looked over at his friend, "let's go to a pool hall or cafe or something. With this score, I'm definitely grounded. Let's make the most of it while we can."

Selim blinked at his friend before breaking into a smile. "The usual place? You can have a head start if you want."

Johan waved a hand through the air, declining the invitation. "No thank you. I'm not in the mood to get beat half-way to Xing. You win every stinkin' time."

"It's not that bad," Selim replied, glancing up at the sun. "Although, running in this heat is probably not a good idea."

"It's a very bad thought, actually," Johan insisted. "But I have a better one. Let's stop by Old Man Mauer's store and get some candy!"

Selim shook his head. "That's not fair. You know my weakness." Almost as if in response to the comment, the dark-haired boy's stomach let out a loud groan followed by an audible rumble. Johan burst out laughing. In response, Selim punched his arm. It wasn't his fault that for as long as he could remember, he'd had an absolutely ravenous appetite.

"Of course I know," Johan finally gasped, rubbing his arm where Selim had punched him, making the dark-haired boy feel slightly guilty. "Come on!" the blond said finally, dismissing the entire situation with a wave of his hand as he ducked into the afore-mentioned convenience store and began to scope out the racks for their favorite candies.

Selim smiled and followed.

xXx

The chair creaked as Selim sat back, grinning at the empty glass in front of him, his third sundae now resting happily in his stomach.

"You're still hungry, aren't you?" Johan asked, shaking his head. He already knew the answer. Selim's ability to eat just about anything sometimes scared a few of the kids at school. It still seemed to amaze Johan as well, even after 9 years of friendship.

"And are you one to talk?" Selim asked, raising one eyebrow at the two empty glasses sitting conspicuously in front of Johan.

The larger boy grinned. "Yeah, but I couldn't still put down two or three more."

Selim conceded the point. Currently his record was seven. He'd been particularly hungry that day and he'd also had a brain-freeze headache for the rest of the afternoon, although that hadn't stopped him from eating a rather large dinner that night.

Blinking away the fond, if embarrassing memory, Selim decided to ignore his friend and contentedly glanced around at the casual café they'd been loitering around as they stuffed themselves silly. Well, Johan had. Selim never really had seemed to get uncomfortably full.

Then his eyes reached the large time piece in the corner and he immediately shot to his feet. "Is it really that late?" he asked incredulously. His sudden movement caused his chair to fall to the floor as it knocked into the people sitting at the table behind him. They turned around to scowl at him, but he ignored them. "My mother's going to kill me!"

Johan blinked. "Did your mom change your curfew?"

Selim shook his head. "No, but I'm supposed to let her know if I won't be home before dark. She freaked out the last time that happened."

"Oh," the light-haired boy muttered. Then he sighed and grabbed the book bag holding all of his papers and supplies. "Fine. Let's go."

They quickly left the small shop, heading in their homes' general directions. That had been one reason they'd ended up being such close friends. After starting at the Academy the same year, they'd quickly realized that they happened to live near each other. Once they'd gotten to know each other a little more (and practically terrorized both of their neighborhoods), their parents began to arrange for the boys to be driven to school by a chauffeur or family member. Once they'd both turned 13, they'd practically begged their parents to let them walk to and from school, with only recent success.

Selim could still remember how leery his mother had been at even the suggestion. Every time the subject came up, they would inevitably get into an argument about her treating him like a child and her insisting that she had Selim's best interests at heart. It had taken over a year of straight out persistence to wear her down, and he did not want the privilege taken away. Getting home later than normal just might do that. He could already hear the arguments about how now that he had turned 15 he should act like it and be more responsible.

Annoyed at himself and the situation in general, Selim pushed his friend to hurry along the darkening streets.

"We takin' the shortcut?" Johan asked.

"Yes," Selim replied.

"If your mom finds out, you'll be in even more trouble," he pointed out.

"It's just a street and a few warehouses," Selim responded as he turned a corner, Johan right behind him.

"Right," Johan responded dryly.

Only a few blocks wide in both directions, an industrial area of town had stood abandoned for over a decade. The government hadn't gotten around to doing anything with it yet, and no one else seemed to really care to keep it maintained. As such the area had fallen into disrepair and tended to gather people his mother would call "dubious", when it wasn't completely abandoned. They'd been warned several times not to cut through there, but Selim was in a hurry. Besides, it wasn't like this was the first time they'd taken it.

That didn't stop it from being ominous. As they continued to walk, the area slowly morphed from a rural neighborhood to one with small, dirty lots full of junk and weeds, and then into factories and warehouses.

Whether it was because of his hurried state of mind, or the creepy atmosphere from the broken buildings in the red-orange evening sunlight, Selim had become a little more aware of their surroundings. That was when he caught it. Just out of the corner of his eye, he saw something move in the shadows behind them.

They were being followed.

It took all of his willpower to not stop right then and there. Beside him, his friend continued to go on about a game they'd discussed multiple times before. Selim nodded and hummed in agreement every now and then, but he kept his attention on the presence behind them. He didn't tell Johan. The last thing he needed was for his best friend to panic. Selim was beginning to wonder just what he should do when Johan sighed. Looking around again, Selim realized they'd almost reached their neighborhood.

"Guess I'd better go this way," he muttered, pointing off to the left towards his own house. Selim didn't say anything for a moment, but then he nodded. If they split up, he could find out who this guy had decided to trail. Maybe they were some sort of target? But why would anyone stalk them? Did they knew Johan's father's position? But why would they go after a colonel's son? There were easily richer targets. Then again, he could be trailing Selim, although that made even less sense. Yes, they were both well off, but dark-haired boy couldn't think of a good reason for either one of them to be stalked, unless it was a random mugging.

Selim bit back a groan. Why couldn't he have noticed the guy earlier? Then they could have avoided the shortcut and gone to a house and potentially a phone. Maybe they could have avoided this altogether. Still, if the guy was planning on mugging someone, Selim would prefer if the person came after him. It would take a load off of his mind to know that Johan was safe.

Well, safer.

"Later," his friend said with a grin, drawing him out of his thoughts. "Good luck with your mom."

The dark-haired boy returned the smile shakily. Johan looked slightly puzzled for a moment before he shrugged it off and struck off down the uneven road.

Selim continued to walk towards his house until Johan had disappeared around a corner before he turned to confront his stalker, thankful that whoever it was had been after him and not his friend. Selim looked weaker, but truthfully, he was better in a fight. Johan wasn't as fast as Selim.

"Who are you?" he asked. The sun had yet to completely set, but the man who walked forward still seemed to be shrouded in shadows. "The way you move, you wanted to be noticed. So state your business."

A dry, almost raspy chuckle reached his ears, sending shivers up and down his spine. "Haven't lost your touch, have you." He said it as more of a statement than a question, and had a certainty in his voice that made Selim all the more uneasy.

He swallowed unsurely but didn't back down, hoping he looked braver than he felt. "You have yet to answer my-"

"Not as cold though. Excellent. That makes my job easier."

Selim did not like the sound of that. "What job?"

"Your death."

A knot of ice began to form in teenager's stomach. "My what? Why?"

The voice began to cackle. "Don't you know, little boy? Don't you remember?"

Selim gulped. "Remember what?"

The man chuckled again. "Oh, this is too good! No wonder you're powerless." He reached a hand to pull off the hood of the long jacked he'd been sporting. The man underneath had fairly dark skin, and looked like he hadn't cut his hair in years. Judging by the state of his clothes, Selim doubted he'd had a bath in about that long too. He'd always had a keen sense of smell, and he deliberately directed that particular sense away from the man. An uneven, dark beard streaked with gray hung ragged from his hollow cheeks and jaw. His grin spoke of more than a little insanity as he sized Selim up like a butcher would a prized cow.

"Who are you?" Selim asked again. The man's face rang a bell, but he couldn't remember where they'd met. The man's grin widened, but he didn't say anything. "Don't play games with me! You'll regret it!" It was a bluff, of course. Not even a good bluff, but it did help him feel a little more brave.

To his great surprise, the other man broke out into laughter. "Oh, I won't regret it. I know you're not someone to be taken lightly," he said with a grin, and pulled something out from under his coat. Selim's eyes went wide as he recognized a very large gun similar to one displayed in a local museum; semi-automatic, black and deadly. "See, I came prepared."

"Why are you doing this? I demand you tell me!" he blurted out, hoping the man didn't pick up the steadily growing quaver in his voice.

Again, the man let out a laugh, this one sounding a bit more incredulous and (if it were possible) crazier. "The name's Clemin."

Selim felt his eyes go wide. "The former Brigadier General Clemin?" he asked, his mind returning to the test he'd completed earlier that day. He'd been one of the generals behind the Coup d'état that had taken so many lives, including the Fuhrer's and his son's.

And Selim's parents.

A rush of anger burst through him.

"You! It's because of you my parents are dead"

The man's grin only grew wider as he set the weapon against his shoulder firmly. "Parents? Ha! Which ones?"

That question took Selim aback. "What do you mean?"

"Do you mean your false parents, the Bradleys, or your real father, the homonculus?"

Something in his words caused the world to freze. Selim felt the blood rush out of his face as he stared down the man with the gun. "F-fuhrer Bradly? He's not my father! And what is a homonculus?"

That incessant grin turned particularly gleeful. "Oh, so they didn't tell you? Well, that will make it all the easier for me to kill you!"

"What?" Selim asked, taking a fearful step back. "Why? Why me? I wasn't even involved in the war!"

"Oh you weren't, were you Selim Bradly?"

Selim felt his heart beat speed up. "How can I be Selim Bradley? He died before I was born!"

The man just laughed again and leveled his gun at the teenager. "I will have my revenge, monster!"

Selim turned to bolt, hoping he could out run the man's aim when a new voice yelled out, and Selim felt his blood run cold.

"Selim!"

"Johannus!" Selim replied. His friend had, for whatever reason, come back and now stood on the crumbling, sidewalk corner with wide, horrified eyes, taking in the scene as best he could.

Clemin spun around, surprised at the newcomer and pushed his finger down on the trigger, releasing a hailstorm of bullets towards the larger boy. Selim saw as if in slow motion, and knew he wouldn't be fast enough to push or pull his friend out of the way.

"NO!" he yelled, desperate for something—anything—to save his best friend. A throb in his forehead was all the warning he got before the shadows in front of Johan shot up, creating a sort of black shield that easily repelled all of the bullets.

For several moments, all movement stopped as the three of them stared at the new, black, converse wall.

"What the...!" Johan exclaimed taking several steps back as he took in the sight.

Selim stared, open-mouthed, wondering where the heck that had come from. Only the vaguest thoughts brought the notice of the pain in his head to his marginally coherent mind.

Clemin, who had stopped shooting, eyed the wall warily. "So you do remember something."

Johan blinked and peeked past the wall at Selim. "This is from you?"

Selim shrugged and held his hands up in surrender, shaking his head. He had no clue! How was he supposed to answer that anyway?

The cocking of a gun registered suddenly and he did the first thing he could think of: he ran. Sprinting desperately towards the wall, he saw Johan pale even more, undoubtedly worried that his friend was now trying to dodge bullets in front of his eyes.

"Selim!" the blond yelped again. He could hear the bullets hitting the ground behind him, and only barely dodged behind the black wall before they caught up. "Are you alright?" the blond asked as his friend rushed to his side.

"I'm fine," Selim muttered, waving his hand dismissively.

"Do you really think that will save you from me?" the ex-general yelled from somewhere on the other sides of the wall.

"Who is this guy?" Johan hissed.

"Ex-Brigadier General Clemin," Selim muttered as he approached the edge of the wall to peek around it. They had to get out of there, but Selim didn't dare make a move without knowing exactly where their assailant was. Something told him not to underestimate this man.

The other boy's eyes grew wide. "Ex-Brig—the guy who tried to overthrow Fuhrer Bradley?"

"And killed him," Selim said again, darkly. "Along with my father." As far as Selim was concerned, Clemin and the others who started that coup were responsible for all of the deaths from that battle. The thought startled him. He'd never really been one to assign blame before.

"AH, HA, HA, HA!" the booming voice of the insane man exploded as he stepped into view from behind the edge of the wall in back of them. Both boys started and whipped around, already backpedaling away from their assailant who had his gun pointed directly at Selim. It didn't take long for them to realized that he'd hurriedly sneaked to the opposite side of the wall while they'd been talking. "Is that what they told you? Do you want to know the truth?"

"Truth?" Johan managed, his voice shaking. He looked petrified with fear, standing on the deserted street, surrounded by old warehouses and vacant lots with his pale skin standing out in the dim light from the half-working street lamps and what was left of the daylight. Selim wondered if he looked that pathetic too.

Clemin focused on Selim. "The truth is, your father was behind everything! It was his idea to turn Amestris into one giant transmutation circle! Suck the lives out of all the people and use them to live forever!" He got the strangest look of ecstasy on his face as he looked up at the stars. Selim wasn't about to complain. The longer that gun didn't fire, the more chance they had of someone coming to their aid. Someone had to have heard this racket by now! The man was shooting a semi-automatic gun for goodness sake!

The rag-clad man continued. "We were there to help him. We knew he wasn't human, and we still tried following his orders so that we could gain immortality too! And then he stabbed us in the back!"

"My father would never do that!" Selim shouted. The words surprised him, and he almost kicked himself for saying them aloud, especially when the man turned those insane, glinting eyes back to him.

"Do you really think so?" Selim didn't answer, but he felt his fists clench. How was he supposed to answer that though? He didn't know anything about his father. For all Selim knew, his parents could have been with the traitors. That would explain why his mother didn't want to tell him...

 _No!_ He shook the thought from his head. What was the point of listening to this insane criminal? And why should Selim believe him? Still, the man's words seemed to strike something in the back of his mind. They rang all too true...

"That monster would have done anything as long as he achieved his goals in the end," Clemin continued.

"Stop it," Selim growled. He didn't notice Johan's fearful glance between the two now glaring at each other.

The man didn't seem to be listening, too lost in the past. "I was one of his right-hand men. A Brigadier General. We were all on the puppet strings of your father. Would you like another truth? It was Bradley's job to keep the country at war so we could have enough excuses to make philosophers stones. All of it was your Father's idea."

Johannus looked completely confused as Selim's eyes narrowed. "Stop saying that."

Clemin laughed again. "So that's where your pride lies this time! You think your father was a great man, but he was nothing more than a betraying, murdering homonculus! And you're no different." He aimed his gun directly at Selim's head again. "That thing put me in prison. I will have my revenge!"

The man had gone too far. His father had been in the military, and his mother had supported him. That was all Selim knew about them. For years he'd thought of his parents as good, upstanding people like his adopted mother said. He'd always imagined his father as a proud, military officer working to help the country who would come home to his loving wife every night. Then this stranger dared to show up, spewing _lies_ everywhere. And they were lies. They were. But despite Selim telling himself over and over again in his head, the man's words broke through that dream like a mace through stained glass. And it hurt. A lot.

"I said," Selim heard himself say in a dangerously quiet voice, "stop saying that!" For that instant, he saw red, and only wanted to stop this man and his mouth, no matter what it took.

The shadows responded.

Faster than any of the three people there could follow, one whipped out—as sharp as a blade—and cut directly through the gun before it could even fire a shot. The mad glee in the other man's face changed to horror and fear in an instant and he stumbled backward. Then another shadow shot out, wrapping itself around the former Brigadier General, tripping him completely. Surprised and panicking, he yelped and fell backwards as more shadows crawled towards him, wrapping around his ragged frame.

Selim didn't remember standing up, but somehow done so, leaving Johan behind him as he took several slow, triumphant steps forward, unable to help himself. He stood there grinning smugly as the man looked on in fear, trembling.

"So, Brigadier General Clemin," somewhere in his mind, he became aware that his voice didn't sound like his. Instead, it sounded like several voices at once. His mouth almost seemed to move of it's own accord, but it felt too satisfying to stop. He enjoyed watching the man struggle in his hold. "How would you like to be delivered to the police? In large or small pieces?"

The man's eyes widened, the former insane confidence now completely gone. Seeing the terror from him felt surprisingly good. Maybe he would forgo giving him to the police at all. He was still hungry after all. He lifted a hand to call the shadows to him.

"SELIM!" Johan's voice seemed to pull him away from the red and black haze that had obscured his vision. He snapped out of it, looking around and taking in the scene with blinking eyes, as if he'd only just arrived. The shadows loosened and fell away, leaving the ex-general a quivering mass of flesh on the ground in front of him.

It took a few seconds for his mind to catch up with the situation. When it did, Selim backed away, eyes growing wide. He'd been about to _kill_ that man...in cold blood! He'd even considered _eating_ him! Horrified, he looked down at his hands, half expecting them to look completely different—like a monster's, or covered in blood. How could he have done that? How could he have even thought that? Only a monster... Unable to look at in Clemin's direction anymore, he turned and met his friend's fearful eyes. That fear was no longer directed towards the ex-general.

"I...I..." he started, but couldn't seem to say anything.

"C-come one," Johan said urgently. "Let's get out of here! We can report him to the police! Hurry!"

Nodding, and more than a little grateful, Selim turned to follow his friend as he ran down the street. Only then did he realize just how exhausted he'd become. It took every ounce of strength and will power he had to even take the next few steps.

Still, despite his fatigue, he managed to half-jog, half-walk down the street. His thoughts did not linger on the escaped, convicted criminal who had just tried to kill him, or what the man had said about his father. The words "homunculus" and "not human" occupied his thoughts, repeating over and over again.

They passed another street lamp, and he caught sight of his normal, average shadow. Had all of that really come from him?

Just what was he?

And why did he fear that he would hate the answer?

xXx

"Selim!" He heard his mother's voice and felt himself relax. Somehow, she always made him feel safe. He smiled for the first time since they'd reached the police station.

She came around the edge of the hall and saw him through the doorway to the small room they'd been instructed to wait in. He sat with a blanket draped across his shoulders to ward off shock, probably looking horrifically pale and tired as she practically ran forward, throwing her arms around him. Next to him, Johannes raised an eyebrow and smirked. Selim found he didn't really care at the moment.

"Mama," he said softly, just reveling in her presence.

"What happened?" she asked, backing away and holding him by his shoulders firmly.

"W-we were attacked," Selim said softly, "by Brigadier General Clemin."

She gasped and began to look him over. "Are you alright?" she asked. "Did he hurt you? How did you escape?"

Selim flinched, and Johan suddenly seemed to find the floor particularly interesting. "We ran," the dark-haired boy replied, probably a little too quickly, but she didn't push it. "He was crazy, kept going on about my father being part of some conspiracy." Was it just his imagination, or did he feel her stiffen? "Was he?" he heard himself ask. He couldn't look in her eyes, too afraid of what he'd find there.

"Selim, tell me exactly what he said," she spoke softly, her voice suddenly far more serious than it had been moments before.

Selim exchanged glances with Johan for a moment before the blond looked away. "He said Fuhrer Bradley was my adopted father, and that he was supposed to keep the country at war. He also said that everyone in the upper ranks were puppets for my real father."

His mother remained silent for several seconds. Then he felt her hand on his chin. "Selim, he was trying to hurt you, and kill you."

"I know," he muttered.

"Then why is it bothering you so much?"

For a moment he considered telling her that the General's words had _felt_ right somehow. Then he saw the worried, almost pleading look in her eyes, and couldn't do it.

"I don't know," he muttered.

"Johannes!" two worried voices came from the doorway as Johannes' parents, Colonel and Mrs. Browbeat, came rushing in. His mother, a plump woman with short, dark hair, began to look over him and ask even more questions then Selim's mother had. "There you are! Are you hurt? Are you alright?They told us you were attacked by an escaped criminal! Why did I ever agree to let you walk home alone? We knew this would happen eventually, what with your father's position! What happened? Why were you walking home so late?" Meanwhile, Johan's father, a tall, thin man with graying hair stood by quietly overlooking the situation. He had an impeccable blue uniform on, despite the late hour of the day.

"'Mm fine, mom," Johan muttered, trying to back away from her unsuccessfully.

"Well, I think this should end your notions of walking home, young man!" She said sternly, standing up and suddenly looking rather cross.

"What?" Johan exclaimed. "But mom-"

"We'll talk about this in the car," Johan's dad said, speaking up for the first time in a quiet, but firmly commanding voice.

Neither Johan nor Mrs. Browbeat looked happy, but they complied with a nod. Then Johan slumped back against the worn police chair, not quite a motion of defeat, but not exactly full of confidence either. Selim always found it interesting that the blond seemed to be such a different person around his parents than the kids at school.

"Come on," Mrs. Browbeat said with only the barest sigh, then looked over at Selim and broke into a smile. "I'm so glad you're alright too, Selim. Thank you for protecting my son."

"Actually," Selim heard himself say, then seemed to realize what he'd just done, and looked down, blushing. "Actually, he protected me."

Mrs. Browbeat blinked, looking between Selim and Johan. "Really? My Johannes?"

"Mom," Johan muttered, but Selim could tell he was pleased with the attention.

"I think it's time we-" Col. Browbeat started, but someone opening the door cut him off.

"Mr. Bradley and Mr. Browbeat," a nasally voice said. The policeman that voice belonged to stood in the doorway, blocking it rather effectively. He wasn't exactly thin, and he didn't look up once as he read the report on the clip board in front of him. "It seems that your story was confirmed. We found evidence of a fight where you indicated as well as the remains of a gun, but it seems the perpetrator has gotten away..." he faded off as he looked up and saw the adults in the room. Immediately he saluted, dropping the clip board he'd been reading off of and letting it clatter to the floor. "M-madam Bradley! Col. Browbeat!"

"Baker," Selim's mother said softly. The man's proclamation didn't help the situation. Did she really look that much like the former Fuhrer's wife?

"At ease, officer," Johan's father said tiredly.

"Y-yes sir," the balding man stuttered.

"I believe it is time for us to take our children home," the Col. said quietly, but with obvious authority.

The officer only barely held back a wince from the look on his face. "Of course, sir," he said quickly. "Just let me go get the release forms."

"We'll follow you."

Again, the authority was undeniable, and Selim couldn't help but find himself impressed. When he grew up, he hoped he had as much control over his own life as Col. Browbeat seemed to have over his.

The small group followed the heavily set officer down the hallway and stopped at a desk where another officer sat. After the first officer explained the situation, they got the forms out to be signed fairly quickly. Then Selim and Johannes were shunted out the main doors and to their respective cars. To Selim, it all happened in a blur he only snapped out of when he saw one of Johan's chauffeurs open the Browbeat's car door.

"See you tomorrow," Selim called. Johannes nodded as he was pushed into the back of the car and their driver started the engine. Meanwhile, the Selim's own chauffeur also started their vehicle.

With one final wave to the other car, Selim sighed and got in the back of the small, black limo. When they got inside, his mother closed the door, and pressed a button to shut the window between them and the front seat so they could have some privacy. Once alone, Mrs. Bradley turned a sharp eye on him.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"What?" he replied.

She regarded him. "You're not acting normally. You've been very aloof and distant."

He shot her a dry look. "I was just attacked by a maniac for nothing more than a silly, imagined reason. We actually managed to get away from him to somewhere safe and they kept us shut in a room while they investigated." He shuddered.

"They didn't lock the door, did they?" his mother asked worriedly.

Selim shook his head, and she heaved a small sigh of relief. He'd always had a severe claustrophobia and tended not to do well locked up. Especially in the dark.

"Oh Selim, you had me so worried when you didn't come home or call me."

"I'm 15," he muttered.

"And you can get ambushed like anyone else," she commented sternly. "If you had called, I wouldn't have had the police and half the army out looking for you all night."

 _Fat lot of good that did_ , Selim thought dejectedly. "We just went to get something to eat. Is that so wrong?" Selim responded, turning to look out of the tinted windows. "We lost track of time."

Mrs. Bradley sighed, slumping back against the leather seats. "Oh, Selim. This is why I want you escorted."

"I can take care of myself," he said, a touch of anger coloring his words.

"Like you did tonight?"

"I'm alive, aren't I?" He shot, glancing over at her just in time to see her close her eyes as if in pain. Then he realized just what he'd said. Of course _he_ was alive, but what about the other family members his mother had lost? Her husband. Her first son. Most of her extended family... No wonder she was scared to lose him.

It was his turn to sigh. "Mom, I'm sorry," he said softly. "Johan was having a bad day, so I wanted to cheer him up. That's all. I'll be more careful. I promise."

She looked up at him with that sad, wistful look that she normally reserved for their arguments. It almost seemed as if she were thinking of someone else when she looked at him like that. "I still think you should be punished." Yeah, he'd seen that coming. "You're grounded until the end of the week."

He sighed again, this time in resignation as he nodded. "Yes ma'am." Actually, he'd probably gotten off pretty easily.

They sat in silence for a while. The lack of sound besides the motor didn't feel awkward, but it did seem rather strained. After a moment, Selim decided that now would probably be the best time to ask, when no one else was around and she could tell him the truth.

"Mom?"

She looked over at him. "Yes, Selim?"

"What is a homonculus?"

He'd figured she would either look at him with confusion or dismiss the inquiry completely. Instead, she dropped her purse, spilling the contents everywhere. As Selim watched, her face grew pale—far paler than he'd ever seen before—as she stared at him with wide eyes.

"Mom?" he asked, suddenly worried. "Are you alright?"

"W-where did you hear that?" she managed, her voice breathless. "From Clemin?" Selim nodded slowly.

She continued to stare at him for several more seconds before turning to her own window. "They're beings created with Alchemy."

"Oh. He said that my father was-"

"Selim," she turned on him so quickly he almost hadn't been able to follow her movement. "Drop this subject now. Forget you ever heard about it. It will only bring you pain and misery. Please."

It was too out of the ordinary for her to interrupt him. He knew he'd hit too close to something. His eyes hardened. "Was my father a homonculus?" He spit the question out before he'd really registered that he wanted to ask it.

"Selim," she whispered. "Please." He'd never heard her sound so desperate. The worry from before returned in full swing.

"Mom..." he started gently. "Mom, I-" but she cut him off with a shake of her head, biting her lip as she turned away.

They rode the rest of the way in silence.

xXx

_Two days later_

"What do you have for me, Major Fury?" Major General Roy Mustang asked as he turned to the door in his swivel chair. It took him a moment to focus on the figure, as it always did. When the figure did indeed come into focus, he knew something had come up. Fury didn't look worried or grim like that for no reason. Yet again, he found himself almost regretting moving to the larger office of a Major General and leaving his men to their own ranks and rooms. Almost.

"Sir," Fury said, snapping a salute before hurrying inside. "I have some disturbing news."

"Have you caught Clemin yet?" Roy asked with a sigh.

Fury frowned and shook his head. "No, sir," he said quietly, adjusting the glasses on his nose. "He's managed to avoid us so far, but we currently have several leads, some of which lead us out of the city."

Roy nodded. "Very well, Major. You have permission to follow any leads necessary."

The dark-haired major nodded. "Thank you, sir, but that is not the reason for my report."

Roy raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"We found another assassin, sir."

Roy almost swore aloud. "In the ranks?"

Fury nodded, if anything his face looked even more grim than before. "Yes, sir."

"Good work," Roy put a hand up to his chin, cupping it thoughtfully with his finger and thumb. "Have they confessed?"

"Yes sir. They claim to be from the FFO."

Roy sighed. The FFO, a terrorist group that claimed to be a rebellion fighting for freedom from oppression. 'Freedom From Oppression Society' as they called themselves. Frankly, with their tactics, Roy thought they could only seriously consist of criminals already on the run from the government and young brats who had no idea what real war was all about. They were a rag-tag group of terrorists at best, with little real leadership and no real plan other than "assassinate the Fuhrer". He doubted they'd even thought further than that.

"Very well," he said, looking up at Fury who still stood at attention. "Send me the file and I will question them myself."

"Yes, sir." Fury said again, then paused. "There is something else, sir."

"Yes?"

Fury put a picture down on his desk. At first Roy didn't really understand what he was supposed to see. Then it clicked and his eyes widened. The weapon itself wouldn't be that out of the ordinary; an older model of a fairly common, semi-automatic rifle used for heavy mobile combat. Something only really large men could carry easily. What drew attention was the fact that it had been completely severed in two. Cleanly, from what he could see of the cut.

What cut through a metal gun without leaving so much as a dent?

"What's this?"

"We found that, sir. Two boys claimed they were attacked by Clemin. Apparently they were taking a shortcut home, and that's when they claimed they were attacked. When the police went to investigate the site, they found this, and some other evidence of a struggle." More pictures appeared on the desk. Several dozen rounds of bullets littered the little-used street, followed by pictures of holes in walls, trees and the street itself. "Clemin's fingerprints were found on the gun."

Roy looked over the pictures again, then glanced back up at his underling. "What of the boys?"

"Apparently they escaped."

"Did they say what did this?" Roy pointed to the picture of the mutilated gun.

Fury shook his head. "No, sir. Not in their statements, and the policeman who was supposed to ask them questions did a...less than thorough job."

"I see. Perhaps we should question them."

"We have already visited their houses sir. They claim to have no idea what happened to the weapon and that it was whole before they were able to get away."

Roy shook his head. "We need to find out what did this."

"Sir," Fury ventured uncertainly. "I do have a theory..."

Blinking, Roy looked up, eyebrows raised. "Yes?"

Fury swallowed nervously. Very odd. He knew Roy welcomed his opinion. Suddenly the General got a feeling he wasn't going to like this.

"Well, you see, sir, one of the boys attacked was Selim Baker, also known as Selim Bradley."

Sometimes Roy hated being right.


	2. Chapter 2

“Selim,” Johan's voice stopped the dark-haired teen on the school stairs, and he turned around to see his friend come panting up behind him. Selim waited for a moment for the blond to catch his breath, trying not to feel uneasy at the dim light and fairly enclosed space of the stairwell. “Are you going to stay in the library through lunch period again?”

“Yes,” Selim shrugged and turned to continue walking. Johan hurried to keep up.

“Selim, you've been going over every alchemy book in there for the last two weeks. Don't think I didn't notice. You're not going to find anything,” Johan protested.

“I might.”

“Then you would have already.”

Selim shook his head. “You don't get it, I have to do this. I have to try.”

Johan made a frustrated grunt. “What did that guy say to you that has you so fixated on studying alchemy? You can't even do it, so why?”

For a moment, Selim considered lying to his friend. He'd been avoiding the subject since the night Clemin had attacked them. Still, he'd known that if he gave up his lunch periods to study, it would only be a matter of time before Johan confronted him. Unfortunately, he had no other time to try and figure it out. For his own safety, he'd been given strict instructions to stay on campus all day, and while they could still walk to and from school, they both had escorts and were to go directly home afterwards. He didn't dare broach the topic of a homunculus with his mother again, either.

He opened his mouth, ready to say something calming and completely untrue, but seeing the worried, determined look in Johan's eyes, he knew he couldn't outright lie. Sighing, he turned and continued upstairs. “I'm looking up information on homunculuses.”

Johan's footsteps stopped. “What are those?”

“Artificial beings created by alchemy,” Selim repeated his mother's words tonelessly.

“They're what?! Selim, why?” Selim turned to face his friend, but didn't say anything. “Was it because of what _he_ said?” the blond asked worriedly. Again, Selim didn't answer, and looked away. “Selim, he's insane! Probably wasn't all there before he attempted the coup! He only said that to hurt you. He was trying to distract you so he could kill you! Of course he was going to--”

“No,” Selim interrupted. “He wasn't saying those things just to throw me off. He meant them.”

“Did you miss the 'insane' part?!” Johan exclaimed, throwing his arm out to emphasize his point and hit his hand against a wall. “OW!” he yelped, shaking his hand quickly through the air, grimace firmly on his face before a scowl settled on it.

Selim smiled, but when he answered, his voice was completely serious. “Well, if it isn't true, then I don't have anything to worry about, do I?” he responded, trying to shrug his friend's worry off as he turned to continue up the steps.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Johan massage the bridge of his nose with his good hand. “You're not going to give up on this, are you?” he stated the question dryly. The dark-haired-boy snorted softly, hiding a small smile. His friend knew all too well that Selim didn't give up. Couldn't handle the blow to his pride.

“I have to know,” he said finally, not turning around. He couldn't explain it to himself, let alone anyone else, but Clemin's words had cut him to the very core of his being. It felt like a long-forgotten dream or memory, and he still didn't think the ex-general was ranting or raving just for the sake of it. It struck a chord so true that he couldn't help but try to figure it out.

Johan sighed. “Then it looks like I'm gonna have to help.”

Selim almost slipped as he spun around, stunned. “What?” he asked, realizing only a split second later that he must have sounded incredibly dense.

“The sooner we figure out that nothing is wrong, the sooner we get our lunch periods back, right?” Johan grinned.

A matching grin also found its way onto Selim's face; probably the first real smile since Clemin's attack. “Right!”

xXx

_Eight days later..._

“Aarg, this is impossible!” Johan complained as he tossed another book on the top of the steadily growing pile they'd already scanned. For once, Selim was beginning to agree. They'd been at this for what seemed like forever and had yet to come across anything even mentioning a homunculus in passing.

“I'm not giving up,” Selim commented, turning another page in the book he'd picked up. It promised to be completely useless, but he needed to go through it anyway. As of that moment, he'd only made it about a third of the way through the library's alchemy section. That was with Johan's help.

“Maybe we're going about this all wrong,” the blond boy muttered, massaging his eyes with the palms of his hands. “I mean, you want to know more about your dad, right? That's why we're looking up homunculus stuff to begin with, right?”

Selim blinked over at his friend and nodded.

“Then maybe we should be looking up stuff about the war and Fuhrer Bradley instead.”

Selim remained silent for a moment, staring thoughtfully out the nearby window at the low, gray clouds that had rolled in that morning. “That might be an alley of thought worth exploring, but only once we have gone through all the alchemy books here.”

He could tell Johan was trying not to look frustrated. “How ‘bout I start on the history thing, and you keep going with the alchemy, seeing as you're the one who actually understands this stuff.”

Johan was right in that regard. Only so much could be understood without application, and Johan had commented that he'd passed his capacity for understanding the mechanics of alchemy the first day he'd tried to help. Strangely enough, Selim seemed to be the exception to the rule. He had little problem really understanding anything in the books, despite his inability to perform alchemy himself. He almost felt...familiar with the concepts.

“Very well,” Selim conceded with a nod.

“Yes!” Johan literally jumped up and ran down to the other end of the library. Selim smiled and shook his head. Honestly, when else would he be so excited to study history?

xXx

_Three days later..._

“So,” Johan muttered around the apple he was currently devouring. Selim had been trying to ignore him as his own ever present hunger seemed to perk up whenever anyone else ate anything in front of him. “About the shadow thing...”

“It was a fluke,” Selim muttered.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Johan look up at him incredulously. “How can you say that?”

“Because, I can't do it now,” he muttered, trying not to sound annoyed. “Look,” he held out his hand at some of the shadows on the desk caused by the stacks of books they'd gotten out to look over that day. Johan watched uncertainly as Selim tried to get the shadows to move with no success. “See? Nothing. Just a fluke.”

Johan didn't look entirely convinced, but he shrugged and went back to the historical encyclopedia he'd been leafing through. They sat in relative silence while Johan finished his apple and the page he was on. Selim had just gotten to something that looked rather promising when a loud noise jerked his attention back to the table.

 _Slam!_ Selim jumped and looked up at Johan in surprise. The blond was staring down at the closed history book in front of him on the old, worn library table with a funny expression on his face. An expression Selim couldn't quite place.

“Johan?” he asked. “What's wrong?”

Johan blinked, as if he didn't know where he was. “Huh?” he asked, then looked around. Once his pupils landed on Selim, recognition and a fair share of worry entered those brown eyes. “Oh. Nothing. A spider crawled onto the page.”

Selim raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't comment further. Returning to his book, he dismissed the incident. If Johan had found something worth mentioning, he would tell Selim.

He went back to reading without another thought, hoping to get in as much research time as he could before the bell rang.

xXx

_Four days later_

“Yo,” Johan muttered, laying his bag down on one of the seats as he slumped into the creaking chair and glancing out the window that pierced the dim, library light. “I'm gonna go back to the alchemy books with you.”

“No luck?” Selim asked with a sigh.

Johan shrugged and reached for one of the books off the top of the stack beside Selim.

“It's still a good idea. I plan on researching that idea next,” Selim commented.

Johan shook his head and raised an eyebrow. “Thorough much?”

Selim returned the gesture with a smile, trying to make sure it looked particularly sincere, as his friend's had seemed rather forced for some reason.

For a moment, he wondered if he should actually inquire after his friend, but dismissed the thought. If it was something Selim could help with, Johan would ask him to help. Until then, he'd allow Johan his privacy.

xXx

When he got home from school that night, he found his mother pacing by the door. Some policemen were there with her, asking questions. They all stopped and looked up once Selim opened the door.

“Oh, Selim!” Mrs. Bradley said. “Come in, quickly.”

“Mom?” Selim asked unsurely, glancing at the two police. “What's going on?”

She stood in front of him, ringing her hands. “We received a note. It was...delivered to our house.” She nodded over to one of the policemen.

“It was addressed to you,” he said, handing him some gloves and then an envelope. Taking his cue, Selim slipped on the gloves and fumbled with the envelope for a few moments, finally managing to take the paper inside out.

 _I'm still here,_ is all it said in bulky but neat handwriting. That's all that needed to be said. Selim glared down at the paper that would guarantee his continued lack of freedom and felt the dredges of a deep rage stir within him. This man was responsible for his parents' deaths and almost killed him. Worse, he'd almost killed Johan as well. No doubt he'd try to kill Selim's adopted mother if he ever got the chance. There was no doubt in his mind about those thoughts.

He'd just started in on all the horrible things he would do to this man when his mother's voice broke through his thoughts.

“Selim?”

“I get it,” Selim said, thrusting the note back at the policeman. “I'll be in my room.”

xXx

_It was dark again, and not the familiar, comforting dark of his room. This dark seemed to hold an unnamable menace that seeped deep below the skin to dig relentlessly at ones consciousness. Selim desperately wanted to leave the darkness, but his body wouldn’t let him._

_They were underground. The dank atmosphere said as much, but somehow, he’d already known that. Pipes and cold cement surrounded him in a sort of organized mess._

“ _Come, my son,” the man on the strange, make-shift throne gestured for him to come forward. Selim felt himself move before he'd really realized he was being addressed. It surprised him just how much he_ wanted _to follow that order...and any order given by this man. It scared him. Deeply. “Report.”_

_Selim knelt down on one knee respectfully. “We have located two possible sacrifices. Two boys who have seen the Gate of Truth. It will take some time to bring them here, but I am confident we can succeed.”_

_The man turned and looked at him with a completely blank expression. “You have done well, my son. Inform Wrath.”_

_Selim nodded, realizing with a sick stomach that he’d just felt a shot of glee at the promise of another’s pain. Was this really him? He wasn’t sure he wanted to know. He turned his eyes up to the blond-haired man with a beard. “Of course, Father.”_

“Selim!” a voice jerked him awake. His first instinct was to jump at and attack the noise, the unknown factor in the situation. Before he could, though, he saw his mother's worried, lined face above him.

“M-mom?” he asked uncertainly. Neither one of them noticed the shadows in the room that had begun to move forward settle back to normal.

“Shhh,” she said softly, drawing him forward and into her arms. He allowed her to as he willed his heartbeat to slow down. “You haven't had a nightmare that badly in a long time.” He nodded, not really able to say anything. Instead, he simply sat there, reveling in his mother's warmth, and allowing himself to feel her safety.

“I didn't mean to wake you,” he finally managed to say.

He could almost feel her smile. “I already couldn't sleep. When I walked by, I heard you moaning. No yelling this time. You didn't wake me up.”

Somehow he felt that had been a lie. He didn't care. It was the sweetest lie he'd ever heard.

xXx

_Thirteen days later..._

Selim's breath came out visibly in the crisp morning as he sighed at the front cover of the newspaper that showed Clemin glaring out of a picture. The words “Escaped Prisoner Still at Large!” practically screamed at him as he passed the news stand. Apparently the ex-general had skipped town, because no one had seen him since his attack on the two boys more than a month before. At least that's what the papers said. After the threatening letter, though, he found little comfort in their assumptions. Clemin was just lying low for now.

Not wanting to dwell on it, he quickly put the thought out of mind and turned his attention back to lunch. Johan had helped him finish up going through all the alchemy books in the library a little over a week before and they hadn't even glimpsed so much as a word about homunculuses.

That's when Johan had suggested that they go through his family's library. Apparently Col. Browbeat had an entire section devoted to Alchemy. Selim had quickly agreed, and each day his friend sneaked a few more books for them to look through during lunch. It still wasn't looking very hopeful, though. Selim was convinced they would be the most knowledgeable non-alchemists in the country by the time they actually finished…if they weren’t already. Still, Johan's help had been invaluable, and he found himself looking forward to the new information his friend would bring every day. The tomes from Col. Browbeat's library certainly had more information than the pathetic school books.

“Johan!” he called out as he recognized his friend's figure next to the familiar form of Johan's bodyguard outside of the school gates. When the two groups didn't meet up on the way, they would usually end up waiting for the other party outside of the school grounds.

“Thanks, guys!” Selim said to his own two bodyguards, Sam and Nick, hinting that they could leave. The two large men never did, but that didn't faze Selim. He broke into a jog, leaving them behind as he approached his friend.

As soon as Johan turned around, he knew something was wrong.

“Johan?” he asked worriedly, slowing to a walk. To his surprise, the bodyguard (Mark, if Selim remembered correctly) stepped between them, glaring down at Selim, who froze in his tracks. The guy didn't really scare him, but Selim had to wonder just why he would do that.

Johan shot Mark a glare as he stepped around him.

“Young Master,” the man protested, but Johan cut him off.

“I've got to explain it to him sometime. Back off.” Mark didn't look too pleased, but he nodded and didn't move.

Selim looked over his shoulder at his own bodyguards for a moment and then back at Johan warily. “Explain what?” he asked.

Johan couldn't seem to meet his eyes. “My parents told me I can't hang 'round you anymore. They don't want me to be your friend.”

It took a minute for those words to sink in, and when he did, the world fell away from underneath them. For as long as Selim could remember it had been him and Johan. He'd always felt that he could do anything with Johan by his side. They were best friends after all.

“What brought this on?” Selim asked. “Why--?”

“Dad caught me raiding the library last night. They asked me why I wanted to know about Alchemy. I don't know how he does it, but I can never lie to him. He always sees right through me. I've been taking notes...they saw those too.”

Selim dropped his eyes. “You told him.”

Johan nodded. “Sorry.”

Selim shrugged. What else could he do?

“After that, they said I can't be friends with you anymore,” Johan concluded, his voice fading into a mutter.

“Did they even give you a reason?”

Johan shook his head, but Selim could tell he was hiding something. “If I didn't agree, they were going to make me transfer schools.”

“But...why?”

“I don't know. I...” a large hand on Johan's shoulder cut him off, and he seemed to slump beneath it. “I gotta go.”

“Yeah,” Selim muttered.

“Sorry,” Johan muttered again as he allowed the body guard to lead him away.

Selim could only stand there, watching him go. “Me too.”

xXx

Saying Selim was miserable didn't even begin to touch on the depth of the situation. He couldn't seem to remember the last time he'd felt so utterly despondent. His research suddenly became a chore, and his productivity dropped far lower than when he'd originally been studying by himself, not to mention he had to go back to only school library books. They'd gone through all of the Alchemy books, so that left history. Despite the rather interesting, local events that had occurred in the past, he would find his mind wandering on more than one occasion, refusing to focus on anything other than the birds flying by as he gazed out of the window beside his favorite table in the library.

His grades had begun to suffer too.

Truthfully, he'd never realized just how much he'd come to rely on Johan's company. As the days passed, he also began to realize just how alone he was without the other boy. He knew other students, yes, but he didn't really _know_ them, and he found himself unwilling to even make an effort to try and make more real friends. Not to mention most of the other teens seemed a bit wary of him anyway. He couldn't figure out why, which frustrated him to no end, which in turn did little to encourage any social behavior. As a result, he tended to retreat to his own corner every class and lunchtime, and no one seemed eager to drag him out.

Whenever he saw Johan in the hallways between classes, both of them would smile sadly, wave or nod and continue on. Apparently the teachers had instructions to keep them apart, and even his mother hadn't had any words of wisdom. He knew she'd tried to talk to the Browbeats, but nothing had come of it as far as Selim could see.

The days crawled by, and yet it seemed to have rushed past all too quickly as the deep winter months approached. Selim would still spend his lunches in the library, trying to read in between the lines of what had been recorded about the war. It was interesting, and kind of strange to see someone who looked so much like himself in the pictures behind Fuhrer Bradley. The Bradley child always had a supporting, adoring smile, but something about him seemed almost ancient to Selim. Sometimes he'd swear he could sense something sinister. Whenever he found his train of thought going down those roads, he would always start a new book. He did not want to think disrespectfully of the dead, nor of someone his mother may have cared for. She had been related to Madam Bradley after all.

The first snowfall of the year came and went, and All Hallow's Eve approached, the ancient holiday of feasting with the spirits of the dead. Just days before the holiday, Selim flopped down into his usual seat and slowly pulled the book he'd started the day before. He had just gotten settled into the biography about Fuhrer Bradley when the sound of something heavy falling on the dusty table in front of him jolted him out of his personal study/pity party. His eyes immediately went to the tome that had appeared before him. He could tell it easily outweighed the library's dictionary. On the almost new cover it said in clear, bold letters: _Advanced Alchemic Theory and Applications: The Revised Edition._

For a moment, he just stared at the book. Then, blinking rapidly, Selim looked up at the figure across the table. Johan stood there, same as ever; slightly plump face below sandy colored hair, and sad brown eyes. When Selim saw him there, his hopes rose for a moment and he couldn't help but smile.

“Johan?” he asked, almost afraid he was seeing things.

His friend didn't smile back. “It's 'homunculi'.”

Selim blinked again, slightly confused. “What?”

“It's not 'homunculuses', it's 'homunculi'.”

Selim's eyes widened as his mind finally processed the implications of those words, and he looked back down at the book hungrily.

“You mean...?” he asked, reaching out to touch it almost as if it were a sacred object.

“Yeah. Newest version. Recently updated.”

“Where did you get it?” Selim asked, opening the cover and looking over the table of continents, along with the copyrights.

“I sneaked it out of Dad's library last night,” Johan replied with a shrug, as if getting this monstrous thing out of or into any place without someone knowing was a common occurrence. “He won't miss it. I need it back in a week, though.”

Selim got the hidden message and smiled sadly. “So, we still can't be friends, huh?”

Johan sighed. “I'm working on it. I'll wear them down eventually, okay?”

“Yeah.”

They stood in silence for a few seconds before Johan spoke again, his voice quiet. “I warned you.”

“Yeah,” Selim replied. “You did.”

“I gotta go,” Johan said, turning around and grabbing a random book off of the shelf. “Later.”

“Yeah.” Funny, his vocabulary wasn't normally restricted to one word. Selim watched his friend turn the corner out of the aisle where their table was situated. His eyes lingered on the now empty space for a few moments before turning to look back at the enormous tome in front of him. Setting his own historical encyclopedia aside, he reached forward and opened the alchemy book to the first page.

xXx

Selim didn't just read the book, he devoured it. Never before had he come across a theory book that actually challenged his mental capacity to this extent. That, and he found the subjects contained in the book to be fascinating.

And that was all before he got to the section on homunculi.

Homunculi, it seemed, were indeed artificially created humans, or more specifically humanoids created with alchemy. A long list of common traits took up the first page and a half. Every homunculus had a philosopher's stone at their center (which also intrigued Selim--he'd heard about the mystical gems from bed time stories and tall tales in his childhood), homunculi couldn't die unless those philosopher's stones ran out of energy. Strangely enough, the book said nothing about what kind of energy was necessary. Electricity? Somehow, Selim doubted it.

Reading on, he found that according to the book, every homunculus tended to have similar markings that they could hide only if they had enough energy in their philosopher's stone and the will to do so. It then went into detail about “greater homunculi” that had a personality and could act on their own, and “lesser homunculi” which would only move forward with a body's basic instinct to feed, no matter the conditioning beforehand.

The lesser homunculi had red lines running across their bodies and one single eye, while the greater homunculi had a tattoo of an oroboros—a snake eating its tail. Selim heaved a sigh of relief when he didn't see anything about coin-sized targets similar to the one on his own forehead.

Each homunculus had some sort of power as well. That part did make Selim uneasy. Trying to dispel the worry, he glanced down at his shadow before continuing on.

The lesser homunculi tended to just be able to eat anything organic, and bullets didn't affect them. They didn't die unless they were quite literally blown apart or burned to death. Selim quickly shoved those descriptions out of his mind, rather disgusted. How would anyone know that? Or did he even want to know how they'd discovered that?

The book didn't go into the different powers of the greater homunculi.

It didn't get much better as the book went on. Many alchemists believed that homunculi didn't have souls. Where would an artificial soul come from, after all? Others would theorize the person who created the homunculus would give up part of their soul to the being. Still others believed that a homunculus would have a soul just like any human.

No one really knew for sure. With the anti-human transmutation law in effect, it was difficult to believe that anyone would find out soon. Not that Selim really wanted them to. The kind of half-life that any such creature would undoubtedly have did not sound appealing to him at all, and he wouldn't wish it on anyone.

Well...maybe Clemin.

After he'd spent three lunch periods reading and rereading the section on homunculi, the weekend came and he had to put off his research. He didn’t dare even take that book out at home. When the beginning of the week rolled around, he began to make a list for and against his being a homunculus, going through the book more slowly for reference. By the fifth day, he’d almost completed it and Johan found him working on it when he came to pick up the book exactly one week after giving it to Selim.

“Did you find anything useful?” he asked, taking a seat across from the dark-haired boy casually.

“Yes,” he responded eagerly. “Look, here are the traits of a homunculus. The checked ones are those that I have as well.”

Johan looked down the list, reading each word carefully. “You don't even have half of these checked,” he commented slowly, sounding a little relieved himself. “And the special powers?”

“Well, I can't do anything with the shadows anymore, but I could then. We both saw,” Selim responded uneasily. “That's why I put a question mark beside it.”

“You also have a question mark beside 'difficult to kill'.”

Selim shrugged. “I wouldn't know. Don't want to find out. I mean I'm only 15. The closest I've been to being killed or seriously hurt is Clemin.”

“Hmm,” Johan responded with a nod before looking up at Selim. “So what do you think?”

Selim leaned forward and lowered his voice. “Keep in mind, I don't have any real proof to back my theories, so they are just that: theories. My first theory: my father _was_ a homunculus,” he said, holding up his pointer finger. “It would explain why I have these strange traits and why the shadows moved when they did. It’s some sort of residual or inherited effect.”

“Okay...” Johan said warily. “What's your next theory?”

Selim chuckled dryly, “That I just got lucky. Or unlucky as the case may be. Somehow Clemin was able to put on a show to psychologically attack me. I'm a normal human with no particularly extraordinary traits. The biggest problem with that one is motive: why me? Just because I look like Selim Bradley? That's the only reason I can think of. I mean, I'm pretty sure that's why my biological mother named me 'Selim' to begin with.”

“Doesn't that bug you?” Johan asked with a shudder.

Selim shrugged. “Not really. It used to, but hasn't for a while now. Like I said, kids are named after famous people all the time.”

Johan nodded again. “And your other theories?”

This time, Selim's smile vanished and he sighed. “The third is that I somehow am a homunculus and Clemin was telling the truth.”

“But the list...” Johan protested, pointing to the piece of paper still in his hands.

Selim nodded. “That is my least probable theory, if only because I would be an extraordinarily human homunculus. I do not have an oroboros tattoo anywhere on my person—believe me I've looked. Now I was born only 15 years ago, and have not had any serious threat to my life, so I cannot draw a conclusion based on that information, but….” Selim faded off as Johan got that strange look on his face again. Realizing his friend wasn’t about to say anything, he continued forward. “I also grow and change, which most homunculi don't. I may or may not have supernatural powers other than a ravenous appetite, and I am not indentured to any human that would have had to create me as far as I know.”

Johan listened thoughtfully. When Selim finished, he looked down at the book and then relaxed against the back of his chair. “So, in other words, chances are you’re human, not homunculus. Satisfied?”

Sitting back, Selim thought for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, for the most part. I think that answers my questions rather accurately.”

“Good, 'cause I've been over here too long anyway.” With a sigh, he reached over and shoved the book into his bag. Then, with some difficulty, he hefted it over his shoulder and smiled on the way out. “Okay, I'll see you later.”

As Selim watched him go, his spirits began to fall again. “Yeah...sure. Bye.”

Once alone, he reached down to the table and began to gather up his notes. Placing them all neatly inside of his own bag, he made his way to the library door and walked out. There was nothing left to really research now. Truthfully, he didn’t know what to research for. Problem was, although he'd told Johan otherwise, he felt like he had even more questions now than he’d ever had before.

And he still hadn't found out anything concrete about his parents.

xXx

Roy stared at the report sitting on top of the other paperwork scattered half-hazardly across his desk as he leaned back in his chair, chin resting in his hand. Riza stood by, watching him carefully. She didn't say anything. She didn't have to.

It came down to either turning a blind eye on a potential enemy, or tearing down the life of one of the most respected women in the country. He hated decisions like these, but someone had to make them.

“What did Fuhrer Armstrong say?” he asked softly.

“She said the decision should remain with you as you're the one who knows him best.”

Roy nodded, and couldn't help the sardonic touch that entered his smile. Absently, one of his hands reached up and touched his eyelid. “And she doesn't think I'm too close to the situation?”

“You know better than that, sir.”

This time, he snorted outright. “She hates anything that has to do with me.”

Riza didn't argue that point. She knew better. “She also trusts you, sir.”

Either that or she wanted to see him squirm. He wouldn't put it past her. And she'd only gotten worse since they'd practically forced her into office. She hated that chair almost as much as she hated...well, everything else.

Roy looked back at the manila folder. According to the reports he'd been receiving, there was no reason for serious alarm. Selim Baker-Bradley had not once acted like Pride in the 15 years as far as they knew. Not that they'd kept the closest eye on him recently. They had other things to do with their field and secret agents than baby sit a brat that seemed like any other perfectly normal human. Still, no one felt confident enough to just leave him be. Watches may have diminished to sporadic at best, but neither Roy nor Fuhrer Armstrong would allow for him to be left completely unsupervised.

Perhaps they'd left this potential threat alone for too long. According to reports from Col. Browbeat, Selim Bradley had begun to research homunculi after being attacked by Ex-Brigadier General Clemin. Roy's fist clenched. He hadn't thought the man would have degraded to that level of stupidity. Now he may have upset the somewhat precarious balance…or awoken a sleeping dragon. Of course, that may have been his plan all along.

Without actually talking to Selim Baker, he had no way of knowing.

Sighing, Roy looked back up at Riza and nodded. “Bring him in for questioning.”

Riza nodded curtly before turning and walking out. Roy smiled as he watched her go. As loyal as ever. She had passed up several rank advancements to stay a Lieutenant by his side. She knew what he needed done, and when he needed it. He’d never come across someone who could do as good of a quality rush job since Hughes…

Ignoring the old pang of regret and sadness, he shook that train of thought from his head and reached into his desk drawer. His hands touched fabric, and he pulled out the white alchemist gloves that had become his signature. One way or another, he may as well get this over with. If he had to, he could take Pride out, just as he'd done with the other two he’d beaten. It wouldn't be difficult.

Once all of that was settled, he could focus on other, more important problems, like the fact that FFO had suddenly seemed to gain a competent leader; or the increasingly hostile relationships with at least three of their neighboring countries. Amestris' history of being rather violent towards almost all of the surrounding nations didn't help. It seemed their only neighbor that didn't hate them was Xing, and with how things were shaping up, the Fuhrer was seriously considering asking them for reinforcements, which only opened up a whole new can of worms; transporting them across the desert, making sure they survived the trip and were treated well, not to mention housing, the likely culture clashes and paying them, etc.

Then, of course, there was the problem of the escaped ex-brigadier general. No one had heard so much as a whisper about him for weeks, despite the fact that they also had not received any concrete reports of him leaving the city boundaries. Didn't mean he hadn't, and Roy didn't like the idea of him loose and in the country side any more than he liked the idea of him being loose and in Central.

Just to top it all off, along with all of that _and_ the normal duties that came with his position, his Alchemy proficiency deadline was approaching all too quickly.

He reached a hand up to rub at the bridge of his nose, hoping to stave off the quickly building headache.

Maybe he'd just send for Alphonse to come and fight him for the proficiency test; see if he could hold a candle to Ed. It would certainly give him a release for all of his building frustration. None of the current military alchemists seemed to really be worth even trying to fight, except Brigadier General Armstrong...if he even wanted to go that far. The idea of cleaning up after all of that did not appeal to him. Alphonse would at least show some restraint, and it would be nice to see him again.

Smiling slightly, he set aside the manila folder labeled “Selim Bradley” and began to read over some of the other reports while making a mental note to give Risembool a call later.

xXx

He'd have to confront his mother.

Selim cursed silently as he came to the conclusion for the umpteenth time that day. No matter how he looked at it, she always popped up as the answer to all of his questions. Problem was, he still could not think of conceivable way to do so. His mother had made it more than clear that the subject of homunculi was not to be broached, but she was also the one who could conceivably present a solution. She'd been close to the Bradleys after all, and she knew something about homunculi. If he wanted figure this out, she would be the person to go to...but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Just bringing up the subject before had seriously frightened her. How could he find a way to ask about the subject without hurting her again? It wasn't possible. That's all there was to it.

If only there were someone else he could talk to...like Clemin. Not that he wanted to seek that psychopath out, but he had been close to the Fuhrer. Or maybe someone who just knew more in general about homunculi, like the authors of the book Johan had given him. E. and A. Elric. Maybe he could find a way to contact them--

A sudden flare of warning in the back of his mind was all he got, and it was all he needed. As if moving on its own, his body ducked, and he watched with wide eyes as the tree just off to the side splintered; a bullet lodged in the wood.

Then he heard a sickening squish and turned around in slow motion to see a blank-eyed Sam fall to the ground, hole neatly in his forehead.

“Young Master, run!” he heard Nick yell before another shot silenced him too. Selim watched, horrified for a moment as those two lives flickered out before him. He suddenly felt sick, but Nick's warning was not lost on him. Turning on his heel, he sprinted into the nearby bushes diving inside and ignoring the scratches with some difficulty. Trying not to get his clothes caught on the branches, he scrambled through the brush, desperately looking for a safe place.

His foot caught a root, and he went down hard. The wind emptied from his lungs, and he lay there for a few moments as he desperately tried to regain his breath. That's when he heard something large rustling in the bush nearby, coming towards him. Somehow, he knew that the person causing the noise was an enemy. They smelled of fear, anger and aggression. Vaguely wondering how he could smell something like that, he struggled to his feet, more than a little panicked. His scrambling caught up with him as tripped again. Looking back, he saw the cause: His jacket had snagged on several branches.

Frantically he tugged and pulled at the school uniform as the person continued to approach. It did no good. The coat refused to budge from the sharp wood. Giving that up for a lost cause, he was about to slip out of the sleeves and leave it when it happened again; the shadows responded. Before his eyes, they surged up, cutting every single branch off in one quick swoop. Suddenly free of his inanimate captor, Selim fell on his backside and stared in shock at where the branch had been, all else temporarily forgotten.

The shadows had answered _his_ call that time, he was sure of it. For those seconds, his mind stopped working. The implications of that happening again...

He stayed like that just one moment too long. A large figure rushed up behind him, grabbing him with massive arms before he could get away. Snapped out of his miniature trance, Selim struggled as hard as he could.

“Let me go!” he yelled, trying to get at the pressure points his defense instructors in school had drilled him on, but he was held tight. Then a smaller, slighter figure came up beside him, placing a cloth over his face before he could get a real look at them. The last thing he remembered before the world blacked out was the question running through his head: _Am I really that weak?_


	3. Chapter 3

Major General Roy Mustang was _not_ having a good day...again.

"Are you telling me that one of the most potentially dangerous people on the planet has vanished?" the dark-haired man asked, straining (fairly unsuccessfully) not to raise his voice.

Lt. Hawkeye stood there as calmly as if he'd asked her about the weather. "Yes, sir," she said in a tranquil voice that perfectly matched her stance.

Roy ran a hand through his graying hair.

"It seems whoever hit the bodyguards did a professional job," she continued, placing the file on his desk. With a hand that most certainly was not shaking, he reached over and opened the folder. His experienced eyes scanned over the page.

"One of the bodyguards survived," he said aloud. "How long until he wakes up?"

Hawkeye shook her head. "We don't know sir."

"How do we know it wasn't... _him_?" his dark eyes glanced up at her, sharp despite the slightly milky tint.

"The angle is inconsistent. We found the point where the sniper hit from, a local building rooftop."

He stopped, blinking up at her. "Good?" he asked.

She nodded grimly. "Very, Sir. If the bodyguard hadn’t been wearing a vest, he would not have survived."

"Nothing left?" She shook her head. He swore, sitting back in his hair and putting his folded hands in front of his mouth as he stared into empty space, thinking.

After several silent moments, he spoke up quietly. "It's Clemin." She didn't respond visibly, but he could tell she agreed. "He's been busy," he continued. It seemed as if all of Central had reached an unspoken consensus that the ex-general had become the new leader of the FFO. Them obtaining decent leadership after he disappeared was too much of a coincidence otherwise. Now if Roy could just uncover their sponsor...their rather elusive sponsor obviously had experience in hiding their money trail.

Finally, Roy sighed. "Send out a 'missing' report to every field agent and outpost you can, military or otherwise. Post a usual reward. We can raise it later if necessary."

Riza nodded, but paused. "What should put on it?"

Roy stood up, placing the folder in his desk drawer as he did so. "Only that 'Selim Baker' is missing. The fewer people that _know_ the better."

She bowed, blond bangs swinging attractively before her eyes as she stood back up. "Yes, sir."

Ignoring his unhappy smile, she turned on her heel and walked out the door.

Roy watched the door for a moment, a sad, almost longing look on his face before the expressionless mask snapped back into place and he followed. It would be his job to report to the Fuhrer. He just hoped she was in a good mood...

xXx

 _Weakling,_ a voice hissed at him in the darkness that had just a touch of red to it. Selim flinched away from the words. _Pathetic...just like them...not worthy..._

With some effort, he ignored the voice, instead focusing on the relative darkness that for once he found comfort in. Normally, he hated darkness with a passion. Of course he would never admit even to his mother now much it scared him still. Now though, he welcomed it. It seemed to bring a sort of hazy comfort and peace that he didn't often obtain. That is why he found himself disappointed when it began to slip away.

The first thing he noticed was the warmth. The days had been becoming steadily cooler as the later, winter months approached. The last thing he remembered, he'd been outside. Apparently he wasn't anymore, as at the moment, he felt rather snug. Maybe even a bit too warm. He wouldn't complain as he'd always preferred higher temperatures. It actually felt rather nice...except for it being a little stuffy.

He also felt material over his head, but he didn't seem to be in his bed. Far too many lumps. He was about to throw all of that to the wind and try to go back to sleep when a sudden jolt brought him fully awake. He was moving...and tied up. Heavy ropes bound his wrists, and he could hear noises of air rushing by and metal moving against metal. A train then.

  
That's when it all came rushing back. That's also when he realized that whoever had grabbed him had stuffed him into a sack.

An extremely small sack.

A little light came through, so he wasn't completely in the dark, but that only barely took the edge off of the sudden fear that shot through him. His breathing sped up and he felt his heartbeat begin to race too.

A sudden noise like someone sliding a door open caused him to freeze in panic. “I still don't see why you had to kill the bodyguards.” an annoyed, female voice said heatedly. “Probably scarred the kid for life!”

“No witnesses,” a second, cold tenor voice responded.

“You tried to kill him too,” the first accused. Selim gulped. This wasn't doing anything to help calm him down.

“The concession was 'dead or alive',” the second voice said.

A loud clang resounded above the rumbling din of the train and the woman swore. “I'm okay with kidnapping if it means taking out a threat. I never signed up to be an assassin.”

“Killing him would have 'taken out' the threat too,” the second voice pointed out. His emotionless tone sent shivers up Selim's spine. All in all, staying still was becoming more and more difficult by the moment, but he didn't want them knowing he'd woken up. What if they killed him then? Who were they? Why were they here? Who had hired them to kidnap him and why? He wasn't anybody!

 _Except the possible son of an artificial being..._ The thought ran through his traitorous mind and he had to fight back a wince.

“You're not killing him,” the first voice insisted. “Not while I'm around.”

A deep grunt from the area of the door voiced an agreement. A third person then?

“Why did you take this job to begin with?” the cold voice finally answered.

“We're bounty hunters. That's what we do,” the woman responded flatly. Then she added on, almost as if she were pouting, “I didn't think he'd be a kid.”

Then, without warning, Selim felt something on his head, and shrunk away with a yelp. That suddenly, the bag was gone. He couldn't help but feel grateful, despite the fact that a hand had entangled itself painfully in his hair and yanked his head back.

“It seems he's awake,” the second voice said from somewhere above him. Through the cracks in the box car that surrounded them, enough light shone in for Selim to see the man that voice belonged to. He had dark hair that seemed to have auburn highlights, although that could have just been the poor light. The uncombed mess had been stuffed haphazardly under a narrow-rimmed hat. Beneath that, a sharp, dark business suit clad a smallish frame, but Selim could tell that said frame had a good deal of muscle behind it. And the way he moved belied a good deal of some sort of training. His pale skin made him stand out despite the dim lighting, making him appear almost ghostly.

Selim also caught a whiff of iron. The man was packing heat, and Selim had no doubt he would use it at the slightest provocation. He gulped, and his eyes shot to the other two.

The woman looked to be in her late twenties. She wore a low-cut sweater, a dark, form-fitting skirt that almost reached her knees and had snow boots. She also had gloves, and her light, almost-white hair had been twisted up into a loose knot on her head. She also wore sunglasses and gloves, but Selim could still tell she was concerned, and unhappy with the situation in general.

The second man seemed to be much older. In the prime of his life, he must have been a body builder or professional fighter of some sort, because Selim caught a residue of strength around the man's aura. A lot of that muscle had been let go to flab though, and he moved in a slow, careful way that only came with age and a good deal of experience. He also had light hair, although his seemed to be a mixture of gray and blond. He wore a heavy, buttoned jacket over wrinkled slacks and watched Selim over the collar of said jacket with sharp, gray eyes. This man was not someone to take lightly. None of them were.

“W-what's going on?” Selim asked, hating how shaky his voice came out.

The woman walked over and reached down towards Selim, who flinched away. Then, to his surprise, she grabbed the first man's wrist.

“Let him go,” she said dangerously. The man returned the look with a completely unfazed gaze of his own. Selim knew that look, although he couldn't remember from where. It said that this woman only remained alive until he had no more use for her. What scared Selim though, was the fact that he held no remorse or anger. His eyes stated that like it was just a simple fact.

Of the three of them, this man was the most dangerous.

After a moment, he let go of Selim's hair and stood up as if it had been his idea to begin with. Brushing non-existent dirt from his coat, he turned and walked back out of the door.

After that, the woman bent down with an apologetic smile. “I'm sorry about that,” she said. “I think someone shoved a stick so far up his backside that he wouldn't be able to remove it with surgery. It's the only explanation I can find, in any case.” She shot a rueful look at the doorway where the older man was looking after the younger one who had turned out of Selim's sight, presumably to leave them be.

Selim couldn't help the small smile at her joke, but the overall fear and confusion drove it away almost as quickly as it appeared. None the less, he refused to just give in and be a blubbering little ball of nothing.

“Who are you?” he asked, straightening his back and lifting his chin. “And what do you want with me?”

The woman's own smile vanished and she stood up. “It's nothing personal, kid. We were sent to take out a threat named Selim Bradley. According to the job description, you were supposed to be some sort of monster or demon.”

Selim felt a shot of anger rush through him. “Clemin,” he growled.

The woman raised an eyebrow. “Who?” she asked.

Selim turned his glare on her. For a moment she looked startled, and then slightly afraid. Standing up, she backed away warily. “Ex-Brigadier General Clemin,” he hissed. “Is he the one who hired you?”

She blinked, looking unsurely back at the old man. Selim followed her gaze and was surprised to see a gun in his hand. He gasped softly and glanced between the two of them. For a moment, the woman had made him think he could trust them, but he'd forgotten himself. These two had probably been the ones to actually capture him to begin with.

The man sent her a nod of assurance and she returned it silently. Selim watched the exchange closely. These two seemed familiar with each other, and both of them were apparently at odds with the third memory of their group. He could use that...maybe.

“The FFO hired us,” she responded slowly.

Selim's eyes opened wide. “The FFO? That terrorist group? What would they want with me?”

The woman shook her head. “They're a rebellion, not a terrorist group. Besides, it's not a smart idea to try and figure out what is going to happen to your targets. Like I said, nothing personal.” Any warmth that had been in her voice before was gone. The woman that stood before him was exactly what she claimed to be: a bounty hunter.

“So you're just going to take me away from my mother and my life just to throw me into some unknown situation run by people who think I'm nothing better than a monster or a threat. I'll give you two guesses as to what they'll do to me.”

He caught only the smallest hint of guilt from the woman as she turned to look away. “They're not a group like that,” she said softly, although she sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than everyone else. “At least, they didn't used to be.” Then her eyes hardened. “Anyway, it's none of our business. We're just out to live our lives. Sorry you got mixed up in it, kid.

“We're probably going to get there in a little over an hour, so you may want to prepare yourself. And don't try anything funny. Marlin here is going to be watching you for this last leg. He doesn't miss much.”

Selim eyed the graying man and didn't doubt it.

With that said, the woman turned on her heel and walked out, shooting a look at Marlin and nodding again before she left him alone.

Sighing, Selim leaned back against the wall of the box car and tried to get comfortable. Thankfully, they hadn't shoved his head back in the sack. Now that he looked around, he could see crates of all sorts stacked at the edges. He could also see quite a bit of baggage. A passenger train then. So they'd had to smuggle him into the train. Dragging a drugged, tied-up kid onto a train (even if he had been in a sack at the time) would undoubtedly raise more than a few questions. He could use that too...but only if he waited for the right moment.

His eyes slid back to the man at the door. He'd lowered his gun, but hadn't put it away. He hadn't taken a seat either, and looked as if he weren't exactly inclined to talk. That suited Selim just fine. He didn't particularly want to have a heart-to-heart himself.

Unfortunately, patience wasn't exactly one of his strong suits. Slowly he began to work at the ropes on his wrists. He had one hour to work himself free, may as well start in the easiest place. If worse came to worst, he could think of something a little more drastic later.

His stomach grumbled loudly, but he ignored it and continued to work at his hands as the minutes passed by.

“You won't be able to untie that,” Marlin said suddenly, his low voice easily carrying over the train noise. “If you're smart, you'll just relax in for the ride.”

Selim narrowed his eyes at the man. “Pardon me,” he said with more than a little sarcasm. “I'll be sure to sit here calmly and obediently so you can hand me over to people who want me dead.”

The man didn't look impressed, staring at Selim flatly. Then he cocked his head. “What did you do to tick them off?”

“Who?”

“The FFO,” Marlin responded.

“I have no clue,” Selim muttered, slouching back against the wall of the box car again. “My mother used to work for Fuhrer Bradley and is distantly related to his wife. That's about the only real connection to anything I can think of...unless they know who my real father is.”

Marlin raised an eyebrow. “Who?”

Selim sunk even lower against the wall. “I don't know. I was adopted and no one wants to tell me anything.” He did not like the way the man looked at him after that. He'd just connected something, Selim could tell. Probably how much he looked like Selim Bradley. Not for the first time, he cursed his resemblance to the dead boy.

“How old are you?” Marlin asked. He wasn't looking at Selim, who blinked in surprise. That didn't seem like something the man would simply ask.

“Fifteen,” Selim responded. “I have a birth certificate if you want to look it up.”

“Hmm,” the man grunted in response.

They sat in silence for a while as Selim tried not to fidget too much. It took him a few minutes to realize that silence didn't work in his favor. He needed some sort of distraction to take the man's attention off of Selim trying to free himself.

“What about you?” he asked in a conversational tone. “How did you end up as a bounty hunter?”

The strained atmosphere suddenly went frigid, and Selim realized it had nothing to do with the weather. Right. Taboo then.

He searched his mind for something else, and came up with a random question. “Are you an alchemist?”

“Shut up, kid.”

Selim scowled, throwing that idea to the wind, and went back to working on his wrists. He could feel the skin coming off as he moved them around, but he had almost slipped his wrist out when a sudden noise from the outside caused both pairs of eyes to shoot to the door.

After a few moments it slid open and a girl rushed in, directly into Marlin's gun point. Realizing what happened, she squeaked and backed away a step, hands held up. She had dark, curly hair that came down only just past her ears and large, hazel eyes. A large, tan coat that had obviously seen better days almost drowned her small frame. She didn't look to be older than about sixteen or seventeen.

“Who are you?” Marlin growled.

The girl didn't take her eyes off of him. “M-Mandy Parkins,” she managed to get out.

“Why are you here?” He growled, moving the hand with the gun to draw attention to it threateningly.

She suddenly looked contrite. “I...was hiding.”

“From who?” The woman looked away. Even in the dark, Selim could see a blush rise on her freckled face. Marlin caught on quickly. “Stow away, huh?”

“I had to get transport!” she blurted. “There's supposed to be a job for alchemists in Parlim county. I need the money!”

Selim blinked in surprise. She was an alchemist? She certainly didn't look like any alchemist he'd ever seen or heard about.

Marlin sighed, finally lowering his gun. “I won't turn ya in, but hide somewhere else.”

With an 'eep', the girl nodded and bolted out the door. Selim felt a ping of disappointment. She hadn't so much as looked around. There was little chance she'd noticed him. Not that she'd be of much help anyways. And that's if she'd decided to go against the large, obviously competent man with the gun.

The old man watched her off down the hall for a moment before he walked back in and slid the door closed, muttering something about impulsive teenagers.

Selim sighed, and went back to working on his wrists in the silence.

Ten minutes later Selim reassessed his previous thought of almost having his hand free, but he refused to give up. This whole thing stunk of Clemin, and if he really was behind everything, Selim doubted he'd live very long past arriving at the station.

Unless the shadows decided to take on a mind of their own around him again...and even then.

Of course, if he'd ever needed supernatural protection, now would be a good time.

Ignoring the annoying idea that kept coming to mind about how he was being stupid, he concentrated on the shadows, willing them to move. There weren't a whole lot here as it was mostly dark with only a few hints of light peeking through cracks, but any light was enough to cast a shadow.

After several minutes of this, despite the chill of the air, he began to sweat, pouring all of his effort into getting the shadows to move.

Nothing happened.

He tried harder. Still nothing. That's when he noticed the train slowing down.

“No...” he whispered, suddenly feeling more determined than ever. It didn't help. Marlin stood up, tucked his gun away and reached down for Selim. In one motion, he'd both torn the cloth sack off of his captive and thrown the struggling teen over his shoulder. Then began to pick his way around the crates and boxes until he reached the side of the train. A large, sliding door had been placed there; easy access for the loaders. With a mighty heave, Marlin threw the door open, took a deep breath, and jumped out of the still rather quickly moving train.

“Are you crazy?!” Selim shrieked just before he became weightless. The strange feeling only lasted a moment before they rocketed towards the weed-covered dirt and landed hard. Amazingly enough, Marlin did not let him go once, and he took the brunt of the fall. Old or not, this man had to have bones of steel and muscles of iron.

For a moment, Selim wondered if the man had automail legs or something.

“Are you trying to get both of us killed?!” he yelled.

“We were never in any danger,” Marlin replied calmly.

Selim grit his teeth, not willing to believe the man for a second.

After a moment, Marlin stood calmly up and began walking through the brush. Trees and bushes scattered rather sparingly around them, each dead and twisted in the winter climate. The air felt drier than Selim was used to as well. So somewhere towards the East by Selim's guess.

Behind them, Selim saw the train's caboose pass by and sighed.

He continued to work at his bonds, giving up on the shadow idea completely. His trek through the woods was, to say the least, unpleasant. He hung over the man's shoulder, hands and feet beginning to fall asleep while Marlin walked along at a surprisingly bouncy pace for an older man. Every step seemed to jar Selim's teeth, and drive the man's shoulder deeper into his stomach. He could only be thankful that it wasn't bony or particularly sharp.

They had been walking for several minutes when Selim caught the scent of someone from behind them. Surprised, he lifted his head (with some strain) and looked back as best he could. No one was visible, but the wind blew in their direction and he caught the smell again.

They were being followed.

But why? Why would Marlin's partner follow them? Or maybe it was the other man?

Before he could contemplate on it more, the ground around them sparked and started to glow.

“What the--” the man said, stepping back defensively.

Selim's eyes widened, realizing that the bright sparks had formed a perfect circle. Then, before their eyes, the ground quickly rose around them into a dome. Marlin growled and lunged at the rising wall far too late. Selim felt his heart clench in fear and panic. The shadows responded again—he could feel it somehow this time—but not quickly enough. In moments, they'd been shut completely in the dark.

For just a few moments they stood there in the blackness. Then Marlin let Selim drop unceremoniously to the ground. Then he apparently launched himself at the wall again because Selim heard something hitting the transmuted stone repeatedly. He didn't care.

He was trapped in the dark, in an enclosed space. Memories of helplessness and anger flashed through his mind, and a metal clinging sounding over and over again in a message. There wouldn't be anyone to get a message to this time, though. He was trapped.

“NO!” he yelled. “Let me out! Don't keep me here! No! No! NO!”

And why weren't the shadows doing anything now? Surely utter blackness counted as a shadow? Didn't it?! He managed to slide over to a wall and positioned his feet to start kicking at it. His ankles had been tied together just as tightly as his wrists, so he had to use both feet. That was fine by him. He'd take bruised ankles over the enclosed darkness any day. All he knew was that he wanted out _now_!

“Let! Me! Out!” he screamed.

“Shut up, kid!” Marlin said, annoyed.

“You shut up!” he yelled back, a few more colorful expletives escaping after that. “You don't get it! I can't stay in here! I can't live like this! If I stay here, I'll be completely useless! It'll be just like...”

He faded off. The phrase that had come to mind was 'Father's original form'. But that didn't make any sense! Just how...? Then the panic surged again, and he shook the thought from his head. It didn't matter right now. All that did matter was getting _out._

“NO!” he yelled again. His voice had begun to sound harsh and raw with all of the screaming, and he renewed his efforts to kick the wall down again. His desperation rose to new levels as the claustrophobia continued to grip his mind. He had to get out! His chest started to hurt as he began to hyperventilate. Somehow, even though he couldn't see the walls, he felt like they were closing in on him, ready and willing to crush him under their immense weight.

Slowly, his shouting faded into terrified whispers, and he kept repeating, “They can't leave me here! They'll all leave me here! They can't! They _can't_!” Somehow he knew he wouldn't be able to survive.

“KID!” a firm hand reached clumsily for his shoulder. He yelped and tried to back away, but the hand held him fast. “Calm down!”

“I can't calm down!” he hissed back. “I let it happen again! But no one's coming this time! No one's there to help! They'll leave me here! They'll keep this dome here and there's nothing I can do about it! No one knows! No one--”

His panicked rant was cut off by more glowing light below him. For a second he saw Marlin's lined, surprised face as a wall of transmuted rock shot up between them. Selim's own shocked eyes remained fixed on the wall until the light faded and he found himself completely alone. It took a moment for his mind to process that, but before he could utter a sound, the wall behind him practically exploded. Blinking, and taking more unsteady breaths, Selim looked over at the figure standing in the light.

At first he couldn't see, but then the figure stepped calmly into the dome. It was the girl from the train, the one with the dark, curly hair. The girl who had squeaked like a mouse and left the cargo car almost faster than Selim could blink.

The proud, confident woman standing in the light didn't seem like the same person. She paused a moment, probably trying to adjust to the dim interior, then her eyes fixed on him.

“Hi,” she said with a confident grin on her face. “You looked—and sounded—like you needed a bit of help. Mind if I take the honor?

Selim stared at her as she continued to smile down at him. Outlined in the light streaming through the dust that had just begun to settle it seemed as if she were some kind of heavenly messenger. Not that he'd ever tell anyone that.

"B-but you...I...why?" Selim managed to get out.

She shook her head as she walked over, a knife appearing in her hands. For a moment, Selim backed away, but then she reached gently down and began to work on the ropes.

"I have my reasons," she said with a wink. "Helping out a cute kid like you? That's part of why I became an alchemist! Come on, we gotta get you outta here."

Selim felt a blush rise to his cheeks. "Th-thanks, but I didn't need any help."

She shot a dry look at him. "Uh-huh."

The dark-haired boy clenched his fists. "Look, I--" he started but she cut him off.

“I heard you screaming and was afraid I'd actually hit you with my wall or something. Glad you're alright.”

He blinked as the embarrassment pushed his blush higher. "I...um...yeah, I'm fine.” This was why he hated panicking in front of people. It always took far too long for his brain to catch up with his mouth.

She looked glanced up at him, curly hair bouncing. "So why were you screaming? Did he hurt you?”

“No,” Selim answered immediately. Then his voice lowered to a mumble. “I...don't like the dark.”

Her response to this was a positively sweet smile that seemed just a little too genuine and more than slightly teasing. Even as he felt the blush rise to his cheeks again, his fists clenched in anger. He didn't say anything though. The last thing he needed to do was make an even bigger fool of himself.

Then the ropes snapped, freeing his arms and thankfully distracting him from his lack of intelligence and the teasing girl. He immediately went to stand up, eyes fixed on the opening that would let him out of the nightmarish darkness.

"Slow down there, champ," she said, putting a hand on his chest and pushing him back down. "You have to get those cut first." She gestured down to the rope tying his feet together. He looked down, then back up at her, contemplating just pushing her aside and making a break for the door anyway. He'd gladly walk on his hands if it got him out of the dome. Hopping didn't seem that difficult.

Before he could decide, a dull thump practically shook the wall near them. Both of them jumped and looked up at the rock. An image of a very angry Marlin practically bursting through the stone came to Selim's mind.

"Right, give me that," he conceded, taking the knife from her hands.

"Fine, Mr. Grabby," she muttered. "Don't cut yourself, K?"

"Please stop that," he said, ignoring the quiver in his voice.

"Stop what?" she asked.

"I am not a five-year-old to be coddled, nor am I a child with an intelligence seriously inferior to yours.” He finished sawing through the rope and a second snap resounded. Ignoring all of that, he shot to his feet and made a break for the door as calmly as he could. When he got outside, he took a deep, calming breath and turned around to face her. "As a matter of fact, it may be the other way around."

To his utter annoyance, she hid a smile behind her hand. "Right, sweetie. By the way, I'm Mandy."

“Selim Baker,” Selim responded absently just as another thump came from the general area of the dome. After exchanging a glance, they both came to a silent consensus getting away from the site would be a very good idea.

“This way!” Mandy said as she took the lead.

"Where are we going?" Selim asked, ducking quickly around some branches, easily keeping up with the girl.

"The city," she responded.

"What city?"

"New Optain."

Selim stopped dead in his tracks. He'd been outside of Central once or twice, but never that far. They'd gone much further to the east than he'd originally thought. After a moment, Mandy realized he wasn't with her and stopped.

"Come on," she said, snapping him out of his shock and gesturing behind them. "We have to get there before 'Old-and-Big' catches up."

"Right," Selim shook his head hurried to catch up with her.

"You okay?" she asked, falling into step beside him, only slightly breathless.

"Yeah," he muttered. "I just haven't ever been this far from home..."

She giggled. "I'll get you home, kid."

He shot a glare over at her. "You do realize I am maybe four years your junior at most."

She giggled again. "You're cute when you try to act grown up."

His scowl deepened at her comment and he turned to look ahead, picking up the pace. In moments, he'd pulled several feet ahead of her.

"Hey," she yelped. "Wait for me!"

Selim nodded in satisfaction. It wasn't exactly revenge, but he'd take it.

xXx

Like any city, they came across large farms and open fields surrounding the town. After some nearly disastrous run-ins with a few bulls, they decided to try and find a road into town. Mandy was tentative about the idea, but Selim insisted. He wasn't used to the fence climbing, mud wading, biting bugs or general disregard for large, painted signs that said "no trespassing". The latter she completely ignored without a second thought. She also seemed to love dirt with the way she splashed through the stagnant puddles large enough to be ponds.

It took them hours to find a decent road, and Selim couldn't help but wonder if Mandy was purposefully leading them out of the way. One part of him approved. If they went the long way, there was less of a chance they would run into the bounty hunters again. Another part of him wondered if she just liked torturing him. Every time he caught a glimpse of her she seemed to be snickering at him. It didn't take long for her to start wearing on his nerves.

"So," he said aloud, trying to converse as they traipsed through a half-grown corn field, carefully avoiding the plants. "You're an alchemist?"

"What gave you the first clue?" she asked sweetly. He felt a vein begin to throb in his forehead.

"What kind of circle did you use to trap us before? I would have thought a four-point circle based off of Grahm's diagram would do the job, but you would need to channel a lot of raw power through just a basic design. What symbols did you use to increase the power output that didn't detract from the quality and thickness of the finished product?"

Oh, the look on her face was priceless. She actually stopped, turned and stared at him, blinking only occasionally for several minutes.

"You're an alchemist?" she asked.

"No," he responded with a shrug, "but I've extensively studied the subject."

"And you get it?" she asked skeptically.

He nodded with a shrug. "What's not to get? The ideas are fairly simple once you can differentiate between them."

She eyed him skeptically, as if reassessing him. He almost heaved a sigh of relief. Maybe now she'd stop treating him like a little kid.

"Will you let me see your circle?" he asked.

She raised an eyebrow, still looking at him. Then a smile spread across her lips. "I would, but then I'd have to kill you," she said with a wink. "Come on, sweetie."

That throb in Selim's forehead came back. So much for that idea. Seriously, the sooner he could ditch this girl the better.

They finally reached a road leading into town, and all Selim wanted was a warm bath and a change of clothes. From all the mud splattered on him, he doubted people could still see his skin. Probably looked like some giant mud-monster lunging down the road to devour helpless children...

A glimpse down at his shadow stopped that train of thought.

His stomach let out a loud, whining rumble that brought a blush to his cheeks as Mandy giggled helplessly.

"Let's get you something to eat," she said after a few minutes, when she could finally talk again.

"Yeah," he muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets, despite the dirt on them. "Thanks."

"Aw, he's pouting."

He clenched his teeth. "Please stop it," he growled. "Why do you insist on speaking to me as if I had no ability to comprehend anything that comes out of your mouth?"

She just snickered and continued walking along. With a long suffering sigh, he followed.

The fields and farms gradually gave way to more industrialized areas, with factories sprouting in brick buildings at random intervals into the horizon. Despite the obvious turn for the more modern, Selim found himself surprised by the clean air. Much cleaner than Central in any case. It felt good.

Just inside the city limits, they were able to stop a policeman and ask for directions. He let them know where they could find a convenience store that would let them use their bathroom sink to clean off somewhat. A small market wasn't too far away, and they soon were walking down a side street for a little privacy as Selim downed several apples and carrots. With his stomach somewhat abated, he found his disposition greatly improved, and even managed a smile, despite Mandy's presence.

"You know," she commented, eying the almost empty bag in his hands, "that would have normally lasted me for a week."

Selim suddenly stopped and looked down at the apple in his hand. "Did you want some? I can pay for it. I still have a little on me."

"It's okay," she said, that perpetual grin back on her face. "You were obviously hungry. Besides," she reached into her pocket, rummaged around, and pulled a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket. "That came into a station I was at yesterday. You'll pay for plenty."

Selim took the paper and stared at it in surprise. A photograph of himself grinned back out at him above the words "Missing child! Reward if found: 500 Silver."

"A reward?" he asked, surprised.

"Didn't know you were worth anything?" Mandy laughed.

Selim shot her an annoyed glare, but otherwise ignored her, looking over the missing poster again. "Wow. That was fast. I’ve only been gone for what, a night?"

"Guess your mom really cares." He looked up at the tone in her voice. She was still grinning at him, but he'd heard a definite note of...what? Sadness? Longing? He wasn't sure, but something. "So, let's get you home to her!" She went on happily, slapping him on the back and almost causing him to lose grip on the groceries left in the sack.

She had a good arm on her.

Trying not to let his discomfort at her gesture show, he glanced back down at the poster and handed it back. "Sounds like an excellent plan to me. So how are we getting back?"

"A train," she said simply. "I can't afford to take a coach all the way to Central with the food we just bought, and I doubt you have enough for that."

"What about the bounty hunters?" he asked. Just as the words left his mouth a sudden chill passed over them and a much larger shadow obscured theirs.

"What about us?" a gruff voice said. Selim's eyes flew wide and he whirled around just as a large hand grabbed him. In seconds he was dangling above the ground, his dropped bag of food below his feet as the contents rolled and scattered along the pavement. Marlin, looking none-too-pleased, simply glared at him before shooting a similar gaze down at Mandy, who looked far more serious than Selim had previously seen her. "So that was you, Missy?"

She gulped and took a step back. While Marlin was distracted, Selim decided to take matters into his own hands. Reaching up, he grabbed Marlin's arm overhead and swung himself up with just enough force to twist out of the man's grip. Surprised, he yelped a protest at Selim, who landed neatly beside Mandy.

"She isn't part of this," Selim said. "Let her go."

For once, the dark-haired girl shot him annoyed look. "Not happening!" she said, withdrawing a small piece of paper from her sleeve and slapping it against the wall with both hands. "I am not letting my meal ticket go!"

Selim would have rolled his eyes if he wasn't busy watching the alley in front of them. The stone suddenly surged out from the wall she’d put her hands against, separating both of them from other man.

"Come on," she said, grabbing Selim's arm and turning to race down the road only to see the woman from the train standing there with two guns pointed in their direction.

"You would both be wise to stop right there," she said matter-of-factly.

"And what if we don't?" Mandy asked defiantly, transmutation circle ready.

The woman raised an eyebrow in her direction. "It's not me you should be worried about," she said. "I have a...an acquaintance who is rather good with guns long-distance."

Selim felt his face drain of color.

"Don't," he said to Mandy, who turned to look at him, surprised. "There's a sniper."

Her own eyes widened, and her mouth set into a firm line, but she let her arms fall to her sides.

"That's right," the blond woman said, sounding both stern and relieved at the same time. "I really don't want to hurt you, kid."

Selim shot her a dark look. "Then you wouldn't give me over to the FFO!"

Beside him, Mandy gasped and looked back at the woman.

"We've been over this before, brat," she said, almost growling. "Monster or not, I promised to hand you over, and I don't break promises."

"Well you'll have to break this one," Mandy said, letting a second card fall to the ground and stepping forward with her hands up as if in surrender. Both feet touched the card, and then everything exploded.

Suddenly, a cloud of dust obscured Selim's vision and he felt himself falling into much dimmer surroundings. With a yelp, he flailed, trying desperately to gain some sort of equilibrium without success. He landed on his backside, hard. He'd be feeling those bruises for months.

Holding back a cry of pain, he forced himself to move, trying to get his bearings. He'd fallen under ground somehow. The air smelled positively foul and it felt much cooler. The air was just beginning to clear when, out of nowhere, a hand reached down and grabbed his.

With another panicked yell, he jumped back, ignoring the pain.

The shadows responded, coming up to slice that hand off, just as he realized who it was. Mandy. Of course. Who else would it have been? But the shadow was still coming, and he knew it had too much momentum built up for him to stop it. So he did the only thing he could think of, and willed it to be something—anything—but a blade. Instead of slicing right through the girl's arm, the shadow wrapped around it, yanking it out of the way before receding almost reluctantly back into the darkness.

Mandy, who had opened her mouth to say something, stood staring at him slack-jawed and silent. She looked more than shocked, and Selim felt too much relief to do anything but relax again. It actually took the blond woman yelling and cursing from above to jolt the boy to his senses first.

"Sorry,” he muttered, looking away.

“That was you?” she asked, almost awe struck.

“W-we should go," he said softly, reaching out to grab her still offered hand and biting his lip to ignore the bruises again.

Then he stopped short. Ahead of him was a long, dark, very, _very_ narrow sewage tunnel. He could already feel his heart speed up at the thought of going in there. Now that he thought about it, he didn’t much care for the idea of being down here now.

Meanwhile, Mandy also seemed to snap out of her reverie.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I-I can't go in there," Selim replied, unable to take his eyes off of the darkness.

"We have to!" Mandy hissed. "Or do you want to get caught by them again?"

Selim glanced back at the hole in the ceiling and the clearing dust. It wouldn't take them long to find a way down there.

"R-right," he managed, then took a deep breath and plunged into the darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

Selim _really_ did not want to be where he was. The darkness seemed to close around him, and it took every ounce of will to keep breathing and running. The horrible stench had a good deal to do with that as well.

Mandy's explosion must have ruined the electric system, as they passed no lights. To make it worse, he almost felt like the darkness had a consciousness that whispered to him. It felt...weak, for some reason, like an echo, but that didn't stop him from wanting to duck away or hide from it. Problem was, he couldn't hide from something that completely surrounded him.

The moment they saw the lights leading to an off-shoot, he took it. Any light was better than none, but the whispering of the shadows seemed to only grow louder.

It took every ounce of self-control Selim had to not 'totally freak out' as Johan would say. He constantly tried to keep his friend in mind, remembering how the other boy could always calm him down. That, of course, brought his mother to mind, and her own gentle hand that would soothingly rock him after a nightmare of being trapped in the darkness when he was young. He'd always hated those nightmares in particular.

Mandy seemed to sense his distress, because she hadn't teased him once. Instead, she'd started up a random conversation.

"I thought you said you weren't an alchemist," she said.

"I'm not," Selim replied.

"Then what was that back there?" she asked. "Seemed pretty close to transmutation without a circle to me."

"Yeah. Something like that," Selim responded, not really wanting to get into that particular can of worms at the moment.

He could almost feel Mandy grin in the darkness. "Could you teach me how to transmute without a circle? Some of my favorite alchemists in history could do that! I know that Major General Roy Mustang can, although he doesn't like to."

"Uh, I don't know," Selim replied, trying to focus on continuing to breathe as he turned down a tunnel. Behind them, he could swear he heard faint footsteps and pushed himself to run faster, despite his protesting butt muscles and the fear that still gripped at his heart. Mandy eeped in surprise, but kept up.

Figuring she had a good idea—keeping his mind off of the situation by talking—he began to ask questions of his own.

"How did you know about these sewage tunnels?" He spared a glance at the thick water next to them and had to fight a gag. The smell continued to be horrific, especially to him.

"Read about this criminal," she replied, slightly winded. He wouldn't let her stop though, and she probably sensed this because she continued to talk anyway. "Kept getting away from the military," she paused, taking a deep breath, "because he would stop at the second stage of alchemy."

"Deconstruction?" Selim asked.

"Yeah," she replied after a moment. Selim turned down another tunnel, and noticed it was narrow enough to jump over to a walk way on the other side. Even though the dim lights at seemingly random intervals cast eerie shadows all over the walls, he blessed them. They wouldn't have been able to go nearly as fast without being able to see.

"Jump," he said, surprised at how calm he sounded. He almost seemed to be watching himself from a distance, like someone else had taken over partially. His mind felt calmer too, although a cold edge seemed to lace his thoughts.

"What?" she asked tensely. He didn't give her a chance to protest. Instead, he leapt over the canal. He heard her gasp sharply behind him before they landed, but she didn't lose her footing although that could be do to the fact that he still had ahold of her arm from when they'd been running through the darkness. Immediately, he turned down yet another side tunnel.

After a few moments, he looked back over his shoulder. "Anyway, the criminal?"

"How can you...keep up this...pace?" she gasped. He looked over his shoulder at her, contemplating. Then he slowed down to a walk, letting go of her arm. She put her hands on her knees, breathing heavily.

"I've always been a good athlete," he muttered. "My mom never wanted me to try out for the school teams, though. She wanted me to focus more on learning and schoolwork than things like sports."

"So you...don't constantly...work out?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Yeah, I do. I walk to and from school every day; make sure stay in shape at home. You know."

She shook her head. "That's incredible."

"Come on," he said, rubbing the hand that had held hers absently, as if to cleanse his skin of something disgusting as he looked around at the dimly lit tunnel. "We should keep going. Anyway, the criminal?"

"Right," she said, falling into step behind him. "So he would deconstruct everything they threw at him, and when they had him surrounded, he'd just break through the streets, walls, whatever happened to be in his way. I thought it was a good idea when I read about it."

Selim nodded, almost impressed (vaguely, he wondered why he wasn't more impressed; he should be, shouldn't he?). Most people wouldn't think to stop at decomposition. He most certainly hadn't.

"So how did you get it to stop? Incomplete circle?"

She nodded. "Sort of. The circle still has to be connected, obviously, but if you leave off most of the symbols and don't complete a few of the other shapes, it usually works really well."

"I can see that," he said. "I think you may have just saved my life back there...again." Was it just him or had he sounded almost begrudging? Of someone saving his life? Apparently she hadn't caught the tone because she snickered.

"Just double my reward and we'll call it even."

He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Whatever."

xXx

"Look, there's a way out," Mandy said after almost an hour of wandering. Selim followed her line of sight and saw several rungs leading up to a covered manhole. For a moment, he wanted to thank every single deity out there. He'd never been particularly religious, but he felt so grateful at the moment, that he didn't care.

Rushing forward, he was at the top of the ladder before he even realized it.

"You really don't like the dark, do you," Mandy commented from somewhere below.

"Claustrophobia and achluophobia. Not a good combination. Had them ever since I can remember," he replied quickly, pushing up as hard as he could on the rough metal. As soon as the light touched him, he seemed to regain himself. It hadn't been much of a change, but he'd almost felt like a different person in the darkness. Moments later, he almost launched himself out of the manhole and onto the dirty pavement, breathing a sigh of relief at the sky and open air that greeted him. Mandy wasn't far behind him.

"Glad to leave that smell behind," she muttered, looking back down into the hole and brushing herself off. The street they'd come onto was basically deserted, with only a few stragglers closing up shops or getting in last minute shopping before all of the markets closed. "Achluophobia?"

He nodded, closing his eyes and concentrating on breathing in. For the first time since they'd entered the sewers, he felt like himself. "Fear of darkness."

"I've never seen anyone that afraid of the dark."

"I don't even know why," he muttered. "For years I've had these nightmares…horrible nightmares." He watched her for a second, but she didn't laugh or giggle. It was kind of strange to tell someone he'd only met less than a day before about some of his deepest fears. It also felt strange when she continued to look at him with a serious expression. He'd expected her to laugh and tease him.

Finally, she just shrugged. "Help me out here," she said and bent down to push the iron circle back into place. Nodding, he joined her and they scooted the heavy object back onto the hole an let it clank loudly back into place.

"Let's get out of here," she said. "Just in case they're still looking for us and heard that."

"Yeah," Selim responded with a nod of his head. They walked down the street in silence, both thankful that they'd been able to get out of that mess.

"We need to get out of the city," Selim said. "They'll be expecting us at the train station."

Mandy glanced over at him, looking impressed. "We should probably leave town by a road away from the train station."

"I'm sure there are few roads heading west or south," Selim replied. "We should probably pick up a map."

Mandy sighed. "No shower tonight, huh."

Seilm grimaced. He doubted she had his acute senses. It would be doubly worse for him. "Probably not."

"I mean, we could stay here in town…"

"I don't want to be anywhere near them," he responded poisonously.

"Right," she nodded with a sigh. "We should at least get some food and supplies before we go."

"Yeah."

They walked in silence for a few minutes, the last of the adrenalin in Selim's system finally wearing off, leaving him exhausted. What he wouldn't give to be home at the moment, in his bed, near his friends and family.

Then she spoke quietly, but it effectively broke the silence. "What were they saying about you being a monster?"

Selim swallowed. He'd known that one was coming. "I-I don't know. I think a former brigadier general knew my father and wants to kill me for it. He's convinced my father was a monster, so he simply concluded that I am, too."

"Oh? Who was your father?" she glanced over at him.

If he'd had the energy, he would have cringed. "I don't know that either. I'm adopted."

"Oh," she responded and they fell into silence again as the sun finally sank over the horizon. Unwittingly, his mind went back to all of the questions his research had left unanswered. He would have to ask his mother once he got back to town, he realized. That was what he'd been about to do when the bounty hunters had decided to spirit him ungracefully but effectively away.

He was not looking forward to it, as much as he did want to be back with her. If only he could find those answers on his own.

Then his mind suddenly flashed to the other possibilities. Clemin, of course, was out of the question, but what about the Elrics? After doing a little research he'd discovered that the authors of that book were indeed the Elric Brothers that had fought in the coup. He knew they were supposedly incredible alchemists and were also (at least in part) the reason the people of Central had made it through as unscathed as they had, but he knew little more than that.

Other than the fact that they were born and raised in Risembool, which was in the east, not _too_ far from Optain City, and that they still lived there to this day…

"Hey, Mandy," he said slowly. It felt weird calling a girl by her first name. At school they were told to address women by 'Miss' and their last name. That would feel even stranger to him, though. "What would you say if I requested a detour?"

"Detour?"

"I...am looking for some answers, and I think that some people here may help."

She eyed him suspiciously. "Answers?"

"They're really top-notch alchemists, and probably the only ones who can answer the questions my research has uncovered," he replied.

Her suspicious expression didn't leave. "Who are they?"

"The Elric brothers."

For the second time that day, he felt a shot of pride in shocking her to an extreme. She just stared at him with an open mouth for several moments.

"The Elric brothers," she confirmed after finally finding her voice. He nodded. "As in _the_ Elric brothers, the best alchemists this world has ever seen? Who saved this country during the coup 15 years ago?" Again, he nodded, satisfied smile firmly in place.

"That's not fair," she growled.

"What?" he asked, his smile fading.

"A little boy as adorable as you is not supposed be able to blackmail me after you just met me."

He found himself grinning again despite himself. "I take it that means 'yes'."

She grinned. "I'll follow you until you get home. How else will I get my reward, after all? But...if you happen to go the long way..."

He couldn't help but laugh as he walked down the street. Who would have thought that when she wasn't being an annoying pain in the butt, Mandy Parkins was actually a decent person?

xXx

Selim didn't know how he managed to continue walking. After buying a map, some supplies and a back pack, they planned a route and walked out of town. It turned out there was a road straight to East City, which would take them almost directly toward their destination. From East City, they could catch a train directly to Risembool. At most it would be a three day journey there, and if they could catch a train ride back, a total of five days round trip. He could be back home within the week.

His excitement didn't last too long as the exhaustion of running all day (and he suspected the use of the shadows) on top of a rather poor, forced night's sleep caught up with him. Fortunately, they didn't run into many people and no one stopped them. The worst part was the cold, but it didn't feel as biting here as it did in Central.

Sometime just before dawn, Selim lost consciousness completely. He didn't even remember most of the last hour before he collapsed by the side of the road, curling up inside of his thick coat. The cold was still there, but he'd gone past caring.

_This time the dream was different. It had the same feeling though. This time, he was himself: Selim Baker. And he faced himself. Literally. Across from him stood (floated? He couldn't really tell) his exact mirror in almost every way, except two. The boy had his face, but instead of Selim's big, brown eyes, his were a stark violet, almost purple, and he had no mark on his forehead. He also appeared to be about three years younger._

_As they watched each other, Selim gulped. He had never seen an expression that cruel on any face, except maybe the dark-haired man from the other dreams. There was a slight difference there too. The dark haired man's expression had just been one of pure, cruel delight. The look on the other Selim's face seemed almost condescending, and highly disapproving. The idea that his features could hold such an expression frightened him far more deeply than darkness or enclosed spaces ever could._

" _You're weak," the other Selim said in a multiple, many faceted voice. Around them, the vortex that he hadn't even noticed before reacted. A ripple of pain and fear ran through it. "Pathetic. You don't deserve to be—"_

_The other Selim's voice suddenly cut off as he began to fade away. The cruel look transfigured to something absolutely murderous and as Selim watched (he couldn't seem to bring himself to turn away), the other him began to yell and struggle. His efforts didn't do much to keep him from slowly vanishing none the less. After a few moments, he must have realized his efforts were in vain as he stopped and looked directly at Selim._

" _I'm still here," he mouthed, and while no words reached Selim's ears, he did not lose the meaning._

" _No!" Selim yelled. He wasn't sure why, but the very idea of that being existing both filled him with utter dread and an intense excitement. "Yes?" he amended cautiously. Was the other him still existing a good thing? He couldn't decide._

_The other Selim vanished, but his arm stretched out just as he faded completely. Hesitantly, Selim reached forward to grab the hand, both grateful and disappointed when there was nothing there for his hand to touch._

_Then the world around him began to fade too. He let it, suddenly feeling tired and resigned. When it swam into view again, he recognized his surroundings instantly._

" _What?" he asked. It was Central, but not the Central he knew. People were running, hiding away from the military forces swarming through the streets. Something had happened—was happening—something important…something…_

_But again, as he reached out to talk to a passing patrol of men, it all began to fade to black._

" _Son?" Someone called out._

_Selim turned around, looking frantically around the fading city. "Father?"_

" _Son?"_

"Son?" Selim opened his eyes blearily, wincing away from the harsh sunlight that felt so warm on his back. Why was he lying on the ground? Rather harsh, lumpy ground with stiff, dead crab grass and weeds popping up around him, sticking into his cheeks and exposed legs where his pants had ridden up. Opening his eyes warily again, he tried to ignore the light, instead focusing on the blue sky above him, and then on an older man's face that obscured most of it. Couldn't he do Selim a favor and kneel on the other side to block the light?

"Huh?" Selim managed to ask as he reached a hand up to rub his eyes.

The old man looked relieved. "Oh good, you are alive."

"Wha?" his mouth didn't seem to want to work. "Who're you?" he slurred. Honestly, he sounded drunk.

"Granpa!" a high-pitched voice drew the two men's attention to two very young children standing near each other, fascinated with Mandy, who was struggling to sit up not too far away. She looked about as dead as Selim felt. "She's 'live too," the older of the two girls pointed out. Selim found himself smiling at her obvious statement.

"Well that's good," he called over to them. Then he turned his attention back to Selim. "Thought fer sure you two were dead, lyin' here on the side a' the road like that. Tha's dangerous, ya know?"

Ignoring his sore, aching body, Selim sat up, trying rubbing the sleep from his eyes without much success. "Yeah." he muttered.

"Why're you two out here?"

Selim looked up at the man. "We're in…a bit of a hurry," he finally said, deciding to err on the side of discretion. "We decided not to stop for the night before. Guess it caught up with us."

"Where're two young things like ya headed?"

"East City," Mandy croaked from off to the side. The two girls giggled and Selim glanced over again just in time to see her scowl and run a hand through her rather wild-looking hair. It stood out like a black cloud of frizz standing on end around her head.

"Callie, Bailey, come on over here," the older man said. Still giggling, the two girls ran over to their grandfather.

He shot them a stern look before turning back to Selim. "So why're ya headin' ta East City on foot?"

"Don't have enough money for the train," Mandy muttered, standing up and brushing herself off. The gesture didn't help with the wrinkles in her long jacket, the shorts or the fairly worn-looking t-shirt she sported. "Wanted to get there," her sentence was broken by a rather large yawn before she finished and she raised her not busy hand to cover it, "as soon as possible."

The man glanced between them again. "What's gotcha youngsters in such a hurry?"

Mandy and Selim exchanged glances. "I...have to meet my mother," Selim finally said with what he hoped was a disarming smile. It was the truth after all, just not the full truth.

"An' she's in East City?"

"Well, we're actually heading down to Risembool," Mandy cut in. Selim almost scowled at her.

The old man looked between them, not noticing how his granddaughters followed his movements. From Mandy's expression, she found it incredibly adorable. Selim had to admit to himself, it was kind of cute...in a girly kind of way.

"And you plan on walkin' there too?" the man asked after a moment.

Again, Selim and Mandy glanced at each other before turning back and nodding in unison.

It was fairly obvious the man knew they were hiding something, but he didn't call them on it. "Right then," he said. "Why don't you two hop on in back?"

He gestured to something behind them. Turning around, they saw a pair of older horses hooked up to a fairly unstable looking, uncovered wagon. Selim eyed it warily. Mandy, on the other hand, couldn't seem happier.

"You're offering us a free ride?" she asked. "Thank you so—"

The man held up a hand cutting her off. "Never said anythin' 'bout free. You two help unload the cart when we get there, and we'll call it even. You'll get a ride, and I'll get to rest my back. We both win." With that he grinned and stuck his hand out at Selim, who blinked at the appendage. Then, with a smile, he took it and shook it vigorously.

"It's a deal, Mr...?"

"Corrins," the old man grinned at them, stretching so more than a few obviously well-cared for silver teeth could be seen. Selim wondered at that for a moment, and for the first time really took a good look at the man. He seemed to have a mildly scarred face hidden by his light gray, neatly-trimmed beard. He wore overalls over a plaid shirt, and had a rather ratty-looking straw hat. All in all, he looked like a typical farmer, but something about the ensemble bothered Selim. He couldn't place his finger on what.

While he was busy scrutinizing their new host of sorts, the man gestured down to the little girls. "This is Callie," he pointed to the older girl who had short, brown hair and wore a very large shirt over shorts and two dusty socks that matched equally dusty sneakers. "And this is Bailey," he pointed to the younger girl, who had her light, slightly longer hair pulled up into pig-tails on the top of her head.

"Girls," the man said gently to the two, "say hi to..."

"Selim," Selim said with a smile, squatting down in front of the girls. Shyly, they hid back behind their grandfather's legs.

"And I'm Mandy," the girl said walking forward and holding out her hand for the older man, who shook it vigorously.

"It will be a pleasure to have such a pretty girl along," the man said with a twinkle in his eye.

Mandy giggled good naturedly. Then made a show of looking up and down the road. "Are you heading all the way to East City?" she asked.

The man shook his head. "I have a farm just outside of the City." He began to lead the group back to the large wagon.

"You came all the way here for supplies?" Mandy asked. "Why didn't you just pick them up at East City? Why come all the way to New Optain?" She smiled as the girls struggled to keep up with the adults in the tall grass. Selim noticed that all three of them had slowed down just a tad.

"Well, it has to do with their father," Mr. Corrins said. Was it just Selim, or did he sense the slightest tension in the old man's words? "He's enlisted in the Army, and doesn't often get a chance to visit. We came to spend a few days with him, and I decided to pick up the supplies before we went back home."

"I see," Mandy said. From her tone of voice, she'd also caught the hints the man had eluded to. There was some history there, but like Selim, had concluded that it was none of their business.

"Besides," the man turned his glinting grin on them. "The prices tend to be better here, closer to Central."

Selim tried not to flinch. He really was going awfully far out of his way to get these answers. He hoped his mother would understand.

Once they got to the large, wooden wagon, Selim began to realize just how dilapidated it really was. It seemed to be a miracle the thing was holding together at all. Their parents couldn't be a high-ranking officers if his family was riding around in this. Selim suspected that the two girls' grandfather had enlisted in the army to pay for what they couldn't work for on the farm anymore. He wondered briefly where their mother was, but decided not to ask. It really wasn't his place.

As Mr. Corrins hefted himself onto the front seat with some effort, Selim helped Mandy lift the girls into the back. Several barrels and more than a few sacks had been stacked against the much taller front seat, and the girls quickly took a seat down beside (or in Bailey's case, on top) of them. Mandy and Selim managed to get in just as the older man called back to hang on, and they started off with a lurch. Selim stumbled, and cursed as he felt several sharp points in his fingers. Slivers. Fabulous. And he'd have to wait for a break or for them to stop to even try and get them out.

He looked anyway. Surprisingly, he was able to get out several just gently brushing his other hand along the fingers gently in the direction that would pull the small pieces of wood out of his skin. By the time he was done, he only had two or three of them left. Deciding not to push his luck, Selim looked around, and saw that the girls had produced a charcoal or chalk piece from somewhere and were proceeding to decorate the old wood. Mandy was watching them thoughtfully.

Turning to the front, Selim hefted himself onto the seat besides Mr. Corrins.

"Hey," he said loudly, trying to be heard over the rattling of the wagon and clopping of the horse's hooves. "I wanted to say thanks again for waking us up and letting us come along."

"Well," the man grinned, but never took his eyes off of the road in front of them, "I have to admit, my intentions weren't wholly innocent."

Selim couldn't' help but stiffen just a little. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we were lucky enough to get here all safe," Mr. Corrins explained. "But there's been talk of robberies. The more people we have, the less likely we are to get robbed."

"Oh," Selim relaxed. It was a fairly sound strategy, if one conceded that the two strangers weren't somehow part of the group that would ambush them later. He felt rather silly for the thought, and turned his attention back to the man beside him, studying him. It was something about the way the he moved. Nothing too obvious, but something told Selim this old man wouldn't just give up a fight and that he had his share of experience in fighting.

"Well, if something happens," Selim assured him, "We'll definitely help."

Mr. Corrins shot a look at Selim, a thankful smile on his lips. "Thank yeh, Selim."

"So, what about you, have you ever been in the military?" he asked, leaning forward and resting his hands on his knees as the man was. His back hurt, and sitting up straight on that jittery ride didn't appeal to him at all.

"Where didja get that ideer?" Mr. Corrins asked, glancing out of the side of his eye with a raised eyebrow. Selim took that as a 'yes, how did you know?'

He shrugged. "You've been trained before, I can tell."

"You 'round soldiers much?" Mr. Corrins sounded both wary and impressed.

"Yes. I go to a school where most of the students are born to the elite soldiers or the very wealthy. In Central, that's usually synonymous." He shook his head.

"Yer parents soldiers?" Selim raised one of his own eyebrows at the man, not missing how he'd expertly steered away from the original topic.

"My mother used to work for Fuhrer Bradley."

That got a surprised reaction from the man. "No kiddin'?"

"And she's related to Madam Bradley."

"Well, that explains a lot."

Selim felt a slight frown come to his face. "Why do you say that?"

"How else wouldja know I'd been in the army? Fought in the Ishbalan war an' fer East City in the coup just 'afore I retired." A sad, wistful tone had crept into the man's voice and Selim felt his heart go out to the man. War wasn't pretty.

Selim blinked, sitting up for a few moments and ignoring his protesting back. _Where did that thought come from?_ He wondered. It wasn't the idea in general, but the expression behind it...like he'd _experienced_ it. But that was ridiculous. Of course he hadn't fought in any war. He couldn't have. There hadn't been any serious wars declared since his birth year. He was way too young...

But somehow, everything about that general idea felt...off.

"That you lived is a testament to your skill, your ingenuity or both," Selim muttered, forcing his mind away from that rather disturbing line of thought.

"Eh," the man dismissed that with a wave of one of his hands as he dropped that side of the reins for just a moment before reaching down to pick it up again. "A testament to m' luck is what it is."

Selim scoffed. "I wish I had that kind of luck."

Mr. Corrins didn't say anything for a while, but just as Selim turned to slide back down beside the others a few minutes later, he finally said something so quietly that the teenager almost missed it. "I hope yeh never get ta find out if yeh do."

A mirthless smile found its way onto Selim's face. "You and me both," he muttered, slipping down into the back. The younger girls seemed to be entertaining themselves in one corner with some cloth dolls. Meanwhile, Mandy seemed to have confiscated the chalk and was drawing something on her own that Selim couldn't see.

With a grin promising retribution, he approached her. "And you accuse me of being young? While you draw in chalk on wagons?"

She glanced up at him, annoyed before turning back to the drawing in front of her. "I'm wondering which circle I could use to fix the wagon," she whispered harshly.

Selim's face slackened in surprise and he leaned over to see what she'd come up with so far. "Why?" he asked, tone matching hers as he took a seat on a nearby sack of grain, still studying the circle.

"To repay them for helping us," she said with a shrug. "Equivalent exchange."

He nodded, conceding the point, ignoring the slight de ja vous at the expression. Those words and the way she'd spoken them just sounded awfully familiar, but he couldn't place where. "You really like your four-point circles, don't you," he said, not taking his eyes off of her drawing.

She shrugged. "They're stable."

Selim nodded. Four point circles were often used with an earth element as it was considered both stable and powerful but it was difficult to do anything intricate with them. Problem was, with five or more points, the interactions started to get difficult to control. Six points bordered on extremely unstable and he didn't even want to know what anyone would do with a seven point circle. Most complex alchemic accomplishments and concepts could be achieved with a five point circle. Six or more and they became quite literally explosive. It was like combining two separate circles with two separate energies together. The resulting explosion could take out...well, quite a lot according to the books Selim had read.

That technique also seemed familiar to him. He'd heard of it, or seen it used somewhere, he thought, but couldn't remember where. Something about having one circle engraved onto each palm?

Shaking the thought from his head, he focused more on the circle she'd been working on. "Why did you use the Bickette symbol here? It's just a simple fix-job," he asked, pointing to one spot on the splintering plank. The symbol was known for adding power to intricate spells without disrupting the energy flow that many other symbols did. It wasn't known for stability but flexibility.

"I was going for the whole cart in one circle. I could take a more simplified circle to the different sections, the axles, the wheels, and the attachments and such, but it would be much more effective, efficient and much faster to do it all in one go."

"That's rather advanced alchemy," Selim said skeptically.

"I know," she muttered. "I'm working on complex problems right now. I'd like to try it and then fix anything that's wrong afterwards."

"Why not use a five point circle?"

She paused, but didn't look up. Then she shrugged. "This isn't going to be that difficult. I'm sure I can do it with this."

Selim couldn't help but be impressed. "How long have you been studying Alchemy?"

She shrugged again, suddenly seeming evasive. "A few years. Since before secondary-school."

Selim continued to study the circle. Then a thought (and an accompanying picture), occurred to him.

"May I?" he asked.

She studied him skeptically for a few moments before shrugging as if to say 'why not?' and handed the piece of chalk over. Selim knelt on the rough wood and began drawing in a third circle inside the other two, accompanied by a set of fairly obscure runes he must have come across while studying (why else would he know them, although he couldn't remember exactly what book he'd gotten it from). Once he'd finished, he sat back for her to inspect.

"I've never seen those runes before," she said. "And what's the third circle for?"

"Efficiency," Selim said with a smile. "The third, uninterrupted circle ensures a continuation of the energy flow, while these runes will make it so that as little energy as possible is lost. With this circle, you can get the maximum result with the least effort. It requires a little more thought as to where you put your energies in, so I would recommend putting your thumbs here...and here," he said, pointing out the areas. "And your fingers spreading out from here and here," he said, pointing to two other areas. "It's a stretch and requires a little more concentration, but added to stable circles such as this, it should help out a lot."

Her eyes had continued to grow larger as his explanation went on, and when he finally got to the end, she could only gape at him.

"You should show me," she said, sounding a little awed.

He frowned at her. "I told you, I'm not an alchemist."

"But...the walls and floor, in the sewer..." she said, sounding almost pleading, and had more than a little whine in her voice.

"I don't even know how I did that," he responded. "It just happens sometimes."

She blinked. "Natural alchemic talent? But it's a skill. How can you activate alchemy and control it so well without knowing?"

"I don't know what it is," Selim snapped. "But it' is _not_ alchemy, and I _don't_ know how to control it."

"Oh," she said, not bothering to hide her disappointment.

Selim tried not to feel guilty, he really did...without any success at all.

"I'm sorry I snapped," he said finally. "That...ability is one of the reasons I want to get some answers."

She regarded him for a moment, then shrugged as if it weren't anything. "What do you mean, you can't control it?"

Sighing, Selim sat back, elbows resting on the wobbly side board behind him. "It just seems to react only when I'm particularly upset, worried or scared."

"Oh," she said again. Selim shot her an annoyed look. He could tell she didn't really believe him yet and that it still had something to do with alchemy. It couldn't be that though. Selim had never been able to perform alchemy, and he'd tried more than once. He just didn't have a talent for that particular science. Besides, those shadows never glowed like Alchemy did. And they felt far less whole than what he'd imagined Alchemy felt like. Like they were trying to make up for something he should otherwise have.

"Whatcha doin?" a small voice drew them both away from their conversation and the looked over to see Callie and Bailey standing there (surprisingly easily with the jostling of the wagon).

"We're drawing this," Mandy said with a smile, sitting back to show the girls.

Both pairs of matching gray eyes widened. "That's magic!"

"No it's not," the dark-haired woman said with a frown. "It's science."

"It goes all glowy!" Callie insisted. "Mommy used to show us."

"Mommy?" Selim asked at the same time that Mandy opened her mouth.

"Your mother was an alchemist?"

"Alright, time for a break!" The sudden voice of Mr. Corrins came back to them, just as the wagon rolled to a halt. Mandy and Selim braced themselves against the sudden stop, but the two younger girls couldn't and both pitched forward with a cry. Selim caught them easily before he shot a look back at Mr. Corrins. He'd already hopped down and was walking towards the horses.

Had he interrupted them on purpose? They'd just stopped off to the side of the road under a cluster of trees. There wasn't really a rest area or clearing more than anywhere else on the road. Selim watched the man suspiciously, but he didn't look back at them. Nor did he really act suspicious. To Selim, though, it seemed just a little too coincidental.

"He's good," Mandy muttered after seeing where his attention was. Selim nodded, a little surprised that the woman had caught on herself. There was something there that Mr. Corrins did not want them to discuss, and it had something to do with alchemy.

"Maybe we shouldn't attempt the transmutation," Selim responded.

Mandy nodded in agreement. "He must have overheard us talking," she whispered.

"Of course he did," the dark-haired boy muttered.

"Should we apologize?"

Selim frowned. It had been something he'd been practically drilled in since he could remember. If you did something that hurt or offended someone else, you swallowed your pride and apologized. But in this case, they hadn't been at fault. It wasn't like they had known.

"Why are you asking me?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Because I'm not good at apologizing."

Well, he appreciated her honesty, but he didn't answer. He'd gotten to a point where he could admit he was wrong, but that didn't mean he had to like it. Especially when he didn't mean to do anything offensive.

"We didn't do anything wrong," he said finally.

She nodded, then glanced over at the small group that had sat in a circle in the tall grass growing beneath the cluster of trees. "Then maybe we should tell him that."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "You mean, just inform him?"

"Exactly."

"I can live with that," he nodded thoughtfully.

"Good. You can do it." Before Selim could protest, she'd already spun away, bounding towards the small family.

Selim glowered, suddenly remembering why he tended to avoid people. Especially those of the female gender.


	5. Chapter 5

The chance to speak with Mr. Corrins came sooner than expected. The air had warmed considerably, and to Selim, it hardly felt like the end of winter at all. The girls, tired because of the long ride, had lain down amongst a few of the sacks and were now sleeping peacefully under a make-shift canopy consisting of several barrels and Mandy's cream-colored trench coat stretched out between them. It tended to keep slipping, but as long as someone kept an eye on it, it didn't fall down and wake the girls.

"Hey Selim," Mandy whispered from her seat on the sack beside him. "Now's a good time to tell him."

"Good," he nodded, unabashed at his annoyed tone of voice. "Please, enjoy."

"I thought you were doing it."

He frowned. "You thought wrong." If there were anything he really hated, it was people pushing their own thoughts and responsibilities onto him.

"But," she started, working up a puppy-dog face that really didn't work on an older teen.

Selim cut her off. "You're the one that wanted to talk to him, you talk to him. I'm not going to do it for you."

She watched him for several seconds as he fanned himself off with a large leaf he'd found on their last stop. It was quickly going very limp in the heat, as such he was considering trying to use it to cover the top of his head to protect himself from the sun as it had begun to become rather useless as a fan.

Apparently seeing that he wouldn't be moved, Mandy sighed and stood up, picked her way over to the large front seat and climbed up top.

"Hey, I wanted to let you know that we didn't mean to be offensive earlier with the alchemy," she said, stumbling over her words for the first time since Selim had known her.

The old man let out a kind of ironic grunt/laugh that wasn't quite a chuckle. Over the noise of the cart and the horses clopping along, Selim was surprised he heard it. "So yeh noticed. Wondered why yeh hadn't tried to try it again since." He looked over his shoulder at Selim before turning his eyes back to Mandy. "Wasn't offended. Just didn't want t' remind the girls o' their mother."

"Oh, right," Mandy nodded, sounding awkward. Well she had been right. Apparently she really wasn't exactly good at things like this. "She was an alchemist. Something happened then. I'm sorry."

He sat up a little straighter, shifting on his seat as if uncomfortable. "Guess I owe ya a bit of an explanation," he muttered.

"You don't have to," Selim cut in hurriedly, glancing uncertainly at Mandy. Both of the people in the front seat turned to look back at him, acknowledging his presence in the conversation.

"It's alright. The girls'r asleep so I don' mind. Ya see, she was a state alchemist, one sent to negotiate with the FFO. 'Pparently, somethin' went wrong. She never came back." He sighed and slumped as if a weight had suddenly been set there. "Well, most of her didn't."

Mandy and Selim had both become very quiet. Selim looked away from the man, studying the rough grain of the old wood that made up the large cart.

"Tha' was a year ago. The girls still don' know," Mr. Corrins continued, voice soft and only barely discernible above the clopping of the horse's hooves. "But I can't keep it from 'em forever. Tha's why I 'void the subject."

They rode in silence for several seconds before their host spoke again, far more quietly as if to himself, but with a lot more anger and bitterness than they'd come to expect from the man.

"Don't know who I should blame more: those rabble-rousers who play at making the world a better place or those monsters back in Central."

Selim cringed at the latter, but didn't quite know why. After a moment's reflection, he figured it had to do with something Clemin had said. Maybe something to do with his father? With Fuhrer Bradley? Could the older man even be referring to the current Fuhrer Armstrong?

"Monsters?" he asked slowly.

Mr. Corrins blinked and looked back at him as if only just realizing his two young companions were there. Then he sighed. "I can see why the FFO gets popularity. I worked fer the government. Trust me when I say it doesn' keep the people in mind when it comes to their well bein, if you get my meanin'."

"Maybe that's changed," Mandy said suddenly, sounding indignant. "It's not like it was when Fuhrer Bradley was alive."

The man shrugged. "Maybe not. I haven' seen much of a change, and if they're tryin' to improve, they've got an awful lot ta make up fer."

"So you support the FFO?" Selim asked, unable to keep out the disbelief of his voice.

"Not on yer life!" the man snapped. "They're goin' 'bout it wrong. Killin' ain't the answer. Never will be. As long as they're like that, they're just as bad as the people they're tryin' to overthrow."

"So who do you support?" Mandy asked quietly, her tone just a bit hard. Selim raised an eyebrow. Just what had Mr. Corrins said to offend her?

The older man didn't respond for several minutes. Then he sighed and looked over his shoulder at the make-shift tent his granddaughters lay under. "I support them."

After several more quiet moments, Mandy just nodded and slipped back down into the back near Selim.

"Well," she whispered, voice thick with sarcasm. "That went well. Now do you see why it's not a good idea to let me be the one to apologize?"

Selim just rolled his eyes. He found himself doing that a lot around her.

xXx

A rather harsh jostle pulled Selim out of his light (thankfully dreamless) doze and he looked around. Mandy had fallen asleep earlier and Selim had followed shortly afterwards. They lay in various positions on the goods in the back of the cart. Mandy lay off to the side, head resting on some wheat packed tightly behind a barrel, undoubtedly to keep the sun out of her eyes. She mumbled something in her sleep, but didn't wake up. Neither did the girls.

As he became slightly more cognizant, Selim realized that the sun had almost sunk below the horizon.

"Mr. Corrins?" he asked in a scratchy voice. The man didn't seem to hear him, but Selim didn't want to raise his voice and possibly disturb the sleeping girls. Groaning slightly at the various aches and kinks in his body, he forced his almost dead-weight limbs to move and hoisted himself up beside the man.

"What the...!" the man started to yelp until he saw Selim sitting there, staring up at him innocently, a little surprised at the outburst himself. "Oh son, don' scare me like that."

"I didn't mean to," Selim replied.

"I know, lad," Mr. Corrins said, shaking his head. "I've lost my touch. Used to be no one could sneak up on the likes o' me."

"Back when you were in the army?" Selim asked.

The gray-haired man didn't say anything for a long while. Finally, when he did, he sounded quiet and serious again. "I hope nothin' I said earlier offended ya."

"You mean about the government?" Selim asked. Mr. Corrins nodded. "I don't see why it should offend me. You have a right to your opinion, don't you?" The man blinked as he looked at Selim, surprised at the statement. Selim continued. "That doesn't mean I agree with you. I do believe that the people running the government today are good people doing the best they can. They're human, and have faults like everyone else, but the laws I've seen passed under Fuhrer Armstrong's regime have been nothing if not made with the general populace in mind. I'm sorry if it hasn't reached you here yet, but I'd like to give them all a little leeway. Running a country cannot be easy."

The man huffed, looking strangely silhouetted in the light of the setting sun. "Guess yer right there. Maybe I'm jus' an old man who's tired of bein' let down. Seen too much to not try n' find hidden motives."

Selim shrugged. "I never said they didn't have hidden motives. Keep thinking like that, and you're likely to keep yourself—and your family—alive longer."

"I still hate it."

"That's the nice thing about human lives; you can. No matter what the law says, or what the government tries to make you think, you can still choose to think and believe what you want. You can choose to hate it, but it isn't always their fault."

Mr. Corrins shook his head, yanking on one side of the reigns just slightly so the horses would follow the gentle curve in the rarely-used trail they'd turned onto. "How old are yeh?"

"Fifteen. Why?"

"Yer awfully smart n' mature fer yer age."

Selim smiled, although there was a touch of sadness in that smile he could not explain. "Thank you."

xXx

"Alright girls, we're home!" Mr. Corrins said as the cart wound to a stop. Selim went to help him undo the back of it so they could begin unloading.

"Granpa?" Callie asked, rubbing her eyes. "Home?" Beside her Bailey nodded with a yawn.

"Yup. Let me help yeh go get ready fer bed." The girls were still tired enough that they didn't argue, only nodding and stumbling towards the good sized farm house barely visible in the evening light. It had two stories, but otherwise looked rather plain. They'd pulled up and around the back of the house before Mr. Corrins had stopped them. He'd explained that that was closer to the kitchen and storage pantry to Selim on the way up. He'd also asked if Selim would mind unpacking while he tried to get the girls to go back to sleep. If he didn't, they'd probably be up all night and no one would get any rest.

"So," Mandy yawned as she stretched and stood up. Her hair hadn't gotten any better than earlier. Actually, if anything, it had gotten worse. The very definition of frizzy. "We have to unload tonight?"

"Of course," Selim responded finally getting the tailgate down. He winced when it almost fell off, swinging precariously down once the ropes were unlatched.

"Can't wait until morning?"

Selim shook his head as he hopped into the back and grabbed the first sack he could. Heavy lifting had never been a particular problem for him, but his mother hadn't ever seemed to want him to do it. Something about straining his back or what not. Frankly, he had no idea what she'd been talking about.

Lifting two sacks up onto his shoulders, he turned around only to see Mandy staring at him.

"What?" he asked.

"Those sacks have to weigh 25 pounds each. I know that's not much, but you swing them around like they weigh nothing."

"I beg to differ," he retorted. "They actually weigh quite a bit. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to do what I promised I would do."

That seemed to snap Mandy out of her stupor. "Okay, cutie, just a sec."

"Stop calling me that!" he growled at her. She ignored him, walked to the edge, and jumped into the packed dirt that surrounded the farmhouse.

"Hey what...?" He started, stepping forward.

"Stay there!" she said back to him with a wink, then held up a paper with an alchemy circle. Then she dropped out of sight and the familiar blue glow just after. Curious, he ignored her warning and walked to the edge. Carefully, so as not to let the weight still on his shoulders topple him, he peeked over. Mandy grinned up at him, standing beside a ramp made of dirt that curled around towards the house.

"See?" she said.

Selim blinked, then he smiled and nodded. It would make unloading much easier. "I didn't know alchemists used their alchemy for something so trivial."

"It's not trivial," she said, hiding a yawn. "We have to catch a train out of here tomorrow, just in case you didn't remember. We have to be on our guard, just in case our friends decide to show up. This just speeds us along."

With that, she tucked her alchemy circle into her pocket and hopped onto the ramp, albeit rather sluggishly.

Selim just smiled and began his rather short descent.

xXx

It took them almost an hour to finish unloading the back. When Mr. Corrins finally came back, he informed them that the girls were asleep, and he'd laid out blankets for them in the living room. He'd also taken the liberty of getting them some sleep wear and let them know that they could wash their clothes in the morning.

Unfortunately they didn't have a shower either.

It didn't take them long to get settled, one on each side of the old, worn coffee table between a fraying couch on one side and a few mis-matched but comfortable looking chairs on the other. Unfortunately, either due to the nap he'd taken on the way or the day's events in general, Selim couldn't sleep. He sat there in the darkness for what felt like hours, just looking up at the moon through the window.

It reminded him of home.

"You okay, cutie?" Mandy's voice had him rolling onto his back to glance over at her.

"I really wish you'd stop addressing me like that," he said tiredly.

"We don't always get what we want, do we?"

"Goodnight," he muttered and turned onto his side again, back facing her.

"Seriously, it's pretty dark in here. Are you going to be alright?"

Selim didn't answer for several minutes. Truthfully, he'd always wondered why most darkness scared him to death, but he found the darkness of his room and the night comfortable. Perhaps it was because he associated it with sleep and rest?

"The darkness doesn't bother me here because it's not completely dark, and I know I'm safe," he finally answered, a little surprised at his own words. Yes, he supposed safety had a lot to do with it. As long as he had a way out, he could handle the dark. He didn't like it, but he could live with it. Same with enclosed spaces. He could handle that as long as they were well lit.

"So you trust me?" she asked, sounding unsure.

He shrugged. "Shouldn't I?"

"I'm just surprised that came so easily."

"I'm your meal ticket," he muttered dryly. "And you're not too stupid."

"Hey!"

He smiled, knowing she couldn't see it. "You wouldn't endanger me like that, so yeah, I trust you."

"Well, when you put it that way..." she muttered. Selim kept a snicker to himself. "You know, sometimes you're not cute at all."

"Good," Selim said.

After a few minutes, he heard her whisper to herself. "That wasn't a compliment."

Neither one of them said anything more after that, and eventually, they both drifted off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

It took Selim and Mandy all too long to get started the next morning. First thing was bathing in the stream by the house. Selim had never washed in a stream before. In Central, they'd always had a nice shower and running water. The Corrins had a pipe that pumped water into the kitchen, one old-fashioned, working toilet, and that was about it. He'd been informed by a rather grouchy Mr. Corrins that morning that if he wanted to clean up, he would have to either use the stream, or fill the bathtub...one bucket at a time.

Needless to say, Selim had taken the stream. It was cold, and rather unpleasant, but otherwise tolerable. Selim was more than a little thankful that they'd gone quite a ways south, and down in elevation. If this had been up as far as Central, it might have given him frostbite.

He still wasn't sure the water hadn't as he rushed back to the house in his borrowed clothes. Mr. Corrins had already washed his uniform and left it on a line to dry and Selim couldn't be more grateful. He didn't exactly want to wander around in his school wear, but it was better than nothing. Besides, it was his.

Mandy had produced a change of clothes of her own that morning, now sporting some black pants and a short, long-sleeved sweater. Despite showing off her naval, she still wore that cream-colored overcoat. It all seemed rather useless to Seilm.

The major improvement in his mind was her hair. She'd taken a stream-bath before him, and had washed her curls. They now hung in hundreds of neat rings by the side of her head instead of standing up like she'd just gotten hit by lightning.

"Thank you for everything you've done," Mandy said enthusiastically as they stood outside the door and she shook the man's hand emphatically.

"No, thank yeh," he said with a grin then turned to the girls hiding behind his legs. Ever since they'd gotten up, the two had seemed to catch on a sudden shyness and hadn't gone near Selim or Mandy. "Come on girls, say goodbye," Mr. Corrins prompted.

"B-bye," Bailey said softly. Callie just shook her head and hid behind her grandfather's leg.

"Don't know what's gotten inteh them," Mr. Corrins muttered, scratching his head.

Seilm held up his hands. "It's fine. I promise."

"Alright, well yeh be safe now. And don' eat all the food I gave yeh at once."

"Yes sir," Mandy and Selim said at the same time. Each of them had a sack of food and supplies hung over their back. 'Payment' for their help, supposedly. As if letting them spend the night at his house hadn't been enough.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, sir," Selim said as they started off down the road, instructions firmly in mind.

"And yeh both! Don't keep yer mom waitin'!"

Selim's smile dimmed a bit. "I won't," he muttered softly.

xXx

East City felt a lot more like Central than New Optain did; dirtier, bigger, more confusing, it seemed like a typical city that Selim was used to...except warmer. And, due to several small rivers, lakes and ponds in the general vicinity, muggier. He didn't find it particularly unpleasant, but then again Selim had never considered Central to be unpleasant either.

As they approached the city in the back of another cart that had passed them by earlier (lead by two brothers who seemed to be annoyed that they had to take a cart instead of their parents car), Selim couldn't help but be reminded of home. That put a bit of a damper on his mood.

Not for the first time, he considered giving up the whole idea of visiting the Elrics and just heading for home.

Mandy, for her part, had taken up residence in the empty cart (in much better shape than the Corrins had been) on a bit of a shelf directly behind the young men and had been laughing and joking with them. Selim hadn't felt inclined to join, so he sat on the edge of the cart in back, letting his feet dangle over the side. Despite the fact that his disassociation had been by his own choice, he still managed to somehow feel left out. The fact that he never had been particularly social didn't help.

By the time they reached the city, he'd worked himself into a rather depressed and slightly angry state.

"So the station's in that direction?" he heard Mandy ask as the cart rolled to a stop, and looked back at the three in front. The two boys seemed rather taken with her, both trying to vie for her attention without seeming to. Selim thought it rather annoying.

"Yeah, that way," the lighter-haired, obviously younger brother said.

"About a mile and a half or so," the other one interjected.

"It's not that far," the younger one retorted.

"Yes it is," the older one responded.

"Well, we'll find it," Mandy interjected. "Thanks for the ride, boys. My brother and I appreciate it!"

Selim scowled as she walked to the back and jumped down to join him standing on the sidewalk.

"Yeah, later. Write us!" the older one said with a wave as they started off again for whatever supplies they needed.

As soon as they were out of ear shot, Selim shot Mandy an annoyed look.

"What?" she asked, noticing it.

"Brother?"

"Well we do have similar hair colors, and it's not something that would stand out as much if someone is following us." Selim sighed and shook his head, but he didn't say anything else. He hated to admit it, but she was right.

They started off towards the stations with Mandy in front, as happy and chipper as ever. Her mood only seemed to contrast with Selim's, which in turn only succeeding in making him feel even worse.

After several blocks, Mandy finally turned to him with her hands on her hips. "Someone got out on the wrong side of bed today," she said. "You gonna tell your big sister what's wrong?"

Selim shot her a scathing look and continued on in silence.

"Come on, Selim," she said, almost whining. _Who's acting younger now?_ He thought bitterly, although he did note that she had actually said his name for once. "Won't you tell me, please? Maybe I can help?"

Selim shrugged noncommittally. "Doubt it."

"Won't know unless you tell me. Although," she snickered, "you're pretty cute when you sulk."

He didn't even bother glaring at her this time, and completely ignored the blush rising onto his cheeks. Maybe he should just ditch her and catch another cart to Risembool. Or a car. That would be nice. He'd had enough of carts and wagons to last a lifetime, not to mention enough slivers from both trips that he doubted he'd ever be able to get them all out.

"Come on," Mandy persisted, much like a stupid fly. "You can tell me."

"It's nothing," Selim snapped. "I just woke up stiff and sore this morning as I slept on the floor, after far too many days of inconsistent sleep and trying to get away from people who apparently want me dead for some stupidly perceived reason, had to take a freezing bath that I'm still recovering from and on top of that I have a companion who happens to be a chatterbox to everyone she meets and never shuts up."

Not to mention he had a rather nasty case of home sickness.

"Oh," Mandy replied softly. "Well, I guess I can help a little."

Miraculously, she shut up. In the back of his mind, he realized that he should feel guilty for snapping at her like that, and he knew he would later. Right now, though, he just reveled in the quiet.

They made it to the station all too soon, and Selim was just starting to feel that guilt at Mandy's silence when she called out to him. "Selim, look at this!"

Sighing, he walked over to the wall and the various posters and notices that had distracted her as they'd entered the large building.

"What is it?" he asked.

"They're not going to let you on the train," she said pointing to his "missing" poster. This one didn't have his picture on it, but it had a list of traits. His height, hair color and eye color weren't exactly unique, but the two traits that anyone would notice had been printed in bold at the bottom: **A target-shaped birthmark on his forehead and he bares a strong resemblance to Selim Bradley.**

"Aw man," Selim groaned, subconsciously trying to flatten the permanent cowlick that made his bangs stick up. As usual, it proved to be a futile effort, and his bangs remained standing, leaving the scar for all to see. He'd always felt a tad resentful that he couldn't even hide the stupid thing. "I'm doomed."

"Maybe we should just try and hitch a ride to Risembool," she muttered, putting a hand on her chin and regarding the sign thoughtfully. "Or we could walk...but that would add at least a few days onto our trip."

Selim shook his head and turned around to walk away as nonchalantly as possible. If he acted like he was hiding or suspicious, more people would notice him.

Mandy fell into step beside him, following his lead to one of the several waiting areas that had fewer passengers in it. "What if I bought the tickets?" Mandy asked, brainstorming. "But we'd still have to get you onto the train. Hmm. We have enough money to get you a hat or something...I think."

"We don't have much of a choice," Selim replied, taking a seat that faced away from everyone else. "It's either that or hope we can hitch a ride to Risembool. I'm not willing to do that right now. It would take too long and I've worried my mother too much as it is."

And there was that incessant giggle. "Aw, he's homesick."

He didn't dignify it with a response other than to stand up and move several seats down. He wasn't sulking either. He wasn't.

"Oh, don't be like that, sweetie," she said, following him with a bright smile, eyes laughing at his annoyance.

"Are you going to go buy a hat or just sit here laughing at me all day?" he asked coldly, fixing her with a glare.

"Alright, alright," she said, standing back up. "Be right back, hon."

Selim sunk further into his seat and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Was this really all worth it? He could just go back home and forget about it all. Of course, then he'd have to live with the knowledge that everyone around him was keeping something from him, whether it be about him or his parents...or...

He sighed, letting his hand flop back onto his legs. "No," he said aloud to himself. He'd always been proud of his ability to comprehend the world around him. Not knowing the huge secret was driving him insane.

Then again, he didn't know what he would do once he did find out. If he was just a normal human, than he'd probably just go back to his normal life (although he seriously doubted that would be the case at this point). If he had...questionable heritage, than he could deal with that. Once he found out how to actually control the shadows, maybe he could even use those to help people somehow.

No matter what he did, though, his life would still be different, even if only to him. The sudden realization depressed him. If he went home right now and forgot about all of this, he'd still think of himself differently and nothing would change for the better. Johan still probably couldn't be his friend, he doubted his mother would let him walk to school anymore (not that he'd blame her) and everyone at school would still avoid him.

However, if he actually found the information he wanted, it could change his self perception far more drastically. What if his father really had been a homunculus? What if Selim was somehow? Would he think worse of himself? Would he think better? What if his parents had been horrible killers like Clemin claimed? What did that make him? What if he really was some sort of monster?

He shuddered. That would definitely not be a desirable outcome...but he couldn't just run away, no matter what the answer was. His pride simply wouldn't allow it. He may be many things; a genius; a son; a child; a friend; maybe even a monster...but he was not a coward.

Something landing on his head jerked him out of his thoughts.

"That's an awfully scary look on your face," Mandy said, grinning down at him. "Smile more. You're cute that way too."

Selim sighed tiredly and took the hat she'd bought off of his head. It looked like a paperboy's. Still, it had probably been fairly cheap and it wouldn't look out of place with his school coat.

Mandy continued to smile at him as he observed it with mild distaste. "Put it on already, silly goose. We need to go and see when the next train to Risembool leaves."

With a shrug, Selim shoved his head into the cap, and went to follow after her as she practically bounded off. With the hat on, he couldn't help but feel much more secure. Now all he had to do was keep his head down a bit and they'd be fine. Well, he hoped so in any case. He wouldn't discount the possibility that someone could still recognize him.

It took them almost 45 minutes just to get their tickets, and it turned out the next train wouldn't be leaving for another several hours. Truthfully, they were lucky they'd gotten there that day. Apparently the train only went that far southeast twice a week. They would have had to stay in town another two nights if they'd reached the station a day later.

"Well, let's count our blessings," Mandy said as she sat down and pulled out some food from her bag. Selim sighed and nodded from the seat beside her, settling in for the next few hours as he followed her example and took out some wrapped cheese and an apple. He hoped the bread Mandy currently chewed would keep her quiet for a little while. He could feel a headache beginning to build behind his eyes and forehead. It didn't take her long to finish the snack, but thankfully, instead of talking, she took out a notebook and a pencil.

He just continued to eat, albeit slowly, happy for the quiet again. The food was doing him good. His headache soon left which improved his mood slightly. After about 45 minutes, she finally spoke. "You know, you never told me what kind of answers you're looking for. If you want an Alchemist's help, you could ask me."

He appreciated the try, but Selim couldn't help a scoff. "Do you know anything about homunculi?"

She actually started slightly and glanced over at him with an unreadable expression. "I've heard of them," she said slowly. "Only a little though. Why do you want to know?"

Well, he'd dragged her along this far. She deserved some answers at least. "I had a run in with someone a few months back. His name is Clemin."

"Wait, Brigadier General Clemin?"

"The ex-general, yes," Selim corrected with a scowl. "He said that my father was a homunculus."

Mandy blinked at him almost unsure of what to think, then she burst out into laughter. "You really believe that some half insane, escaped general would tell you the truth?"

Selim's scowl darkened. "I have reason to believe what he said was true."

She didn't stop laughing, although she tried. "Like what?"

"You saw those shadows move," he muttered. "That's not normal."

That shut her up.

They sat in the relative quiet for several seconds before she spoke up again. "So you think because you have this strange...power, that your father was an artificial being?"

Selim sighed and shrugged, not really wanting to explain it right now.

"I...guess that would explain a lot," Mandy admitted, sitting back in her chair. He could tell from her posture and the troubled expression on her face that she still didn't believe him. Scowling, he turned his eyes to the dirty, tiled floor in front of him. He hated being humored like that.

Determined to not let her opinion deter him, he responded. "Yes, everything from those shadows to the scar on my head. Maybe it's some sort of mark or tattoo he gave me."

"That doesn't look like a scar," the dark-haired girl pointed out.

Selim shook his head. "My mother told me it was a birthmark."

"Which, if your father was...you know, it could be."

Selim raised his eyebrows, considering the point. That hadn't ever occurred to him. His first theory was quickly becoming more likely the more he thought about it.

"I thought you said you were adopted," Mandy commented, going back to writing in her journal.

"I am."

"What about your mother?" She asked, shifting on the hard, wooden chair.

"She's my adopted mother."

"How would she know if it was a birthmark then?"

Selim sighed. "She knows who my parents were. They died in the coup, along with her son and husband. It couldn't have been easy for her, but because I needed a family, she adopted me."

Mandy stilled for just a second, but then she continued writing. "You're lucky."

Selim chuckled mirthlessly. "Don't I know it."

"Why didn't you just ask her then?"

A wry smirk found its way onto Selim's face. "I did. She's told me for the last ten years that she'll tell me when I'm older."

"That sounds frustrating."

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. The way she'd said it made him think she'd suddenly become awfully distracted and a little depressed to him. Without looking at him, she went back to writing in the little book, so he couldn't read her expression. She did seem focused rather suddenly though. Curious and puzzled, he peered at the paper on her lap. "What are you writing?"

"Oh this?" she asked, immediately perking up. "It's a journal of all of my journeys! And a record of all of my expenses."

Selim raised an eyebrow skeptically. "You're that organized?"

"Wouldn't be able to survive otherwise. I'd spend everything I made in an instant," she replied, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly and giving a cheesy—if embarrassed—grin.

Selim nodded, conceding the point. She seemed like the type who would do that.

After a few more minutes of quiet with the exception of the passengers coming and going, she put her pen into the fold of the notebook to keep its place, and shoved it into the overly large pocket of her coat.

"Right, so about those shadows, I was thinking..." she paused.

Selim raised an eyebrow as he turned to face her again. "Oh?"

"Yeah. It's just that, when I use alchemy, I have to put my energy into it before it works; kind of like a little piece of myself. I've always thought of it as a little piece of my soul. Maybe that's how the shadow thing works. You have to put something into it before you get something out. Have you tried that approach to control the shadows?"

"No," Selim said, shaking his head. Then he leaned back in his own chair contemplatively. "I mean, after all it isn't alchemy. The same laws of equivalent exchange won't necessarily apply."

"I don't know if it'll work, but it might help," she replied with a shrug.

Selim felt a smile crawl across his lips. "Yeah, I'll try it. Thanks."

"No problem, cutie." Selim just shook his head and took out some bread to munch on. With nothing else to do, they just sat in the waiting room.

After an hour, Mandy grew restless. Selim watched her get up and pace as she thought about something or other. He didn't want to ask her as he didn't want her to go off on something that may very well put him to sleep. He was perfectly happy to relax and enjoy some downtime while they waited for the train to come. She, apparently, wasn't.

Finally, after an hour and a half, she sat down and pulled her notebook out again.

"Show me those symbols you know, for alchemy," she said. "I hate just sitting."

"Noticed," Selim muttered with a smirk. She flipped her notebook to a blank page and handed him the pencil. "Very well, let's see...do you know this one?"

xXx

With great relief, Selim sunk into a worn, red cushioned train seat. Mandy sat across from him, looking just as relieved. No one had recognized him. Now they just had to worry about the five hour train ride ahead of them. That didn't count the stops they'd make along the way or the people that may potentially get on or off at said stops. Someone might still notice him.

For the first hour, they just sat there, Mandy going over the symbols he'd shown her and Selim watching everyone that came and went like a hawk. If someone found them now and turned him into the police or what not, his little escapade would end rather unspectacularly.

"You're too tense," Mandy said as she bit into a carrot from her bag, not even bothering to look up at him.

"Tense?" he asked. "I'm not that tense."

At least this time she did shoot him a dry, 'yeah right' look. "If you sit there and keep staring at people like everyone's an enemy, they'll eventually notice. It makes people uncomfortable. Take it from someone who's been on the road enough. Had to avoid police every now and then. The more relaxed and bored you are, the less anyone notices you."

Selim watched her silently as she went back to studying the new symbols he'd shown her. She'd admitted to being in her late teens. How long could she have been on the road? And where did she learn alchemy if that were the case? It wasn't exactly taught to just anyone. Still, she could easily be self taught. Access to basic alchemy books wasn't too difficult to come by.

Of course, instead of wondering, he could just ask. "So who taught you alchemy?" he said carefully.

The unreadable expression returned. The same look she'd gotten when he'd asked her about homunculi. "My father," she said finally. "He'd studied his whole life to become a state alchemist, but never made it. He still became fairly renowned in my home town, though. He taught me everything he knows."

'Knows'. So he was still alive. So why would she have to be ducking around police?

"So where is he now?" Selim asked. She didn't answer for several seconds. _'Taboo?'_ he wondered to himself. "You don't have to answer," he amended.

She shrugged. "He's at home last I heard. I ran away when I was fourteen."

"Oh? Why?"

"Because he got remarried."

"Remarried?"

She shook her head. "I don't really want to talk about it."

Selim blinked, then shrugged. It really wasn't his business and he had no right to pry. "Alright. Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me that much."

In a very un-Mandy-like way, she shrugged, expression having gone from non-existent to almost frigid. "Whatever."

 _Taboo,_ he confirmed to himself and looked back out the window as they pulled into the first train station on their journey. Once he managed to calm down, it didn't take long for him to drift off to sleep.

xXx

When he awoke again, it was dark outside and the train had almost completely emptied. Across from him, Mandy had curled up on the chair hugging her bundled coat as she snored softly. When the train security passed by, Selim asked for an ETA for Risembool. Apparently they got those kinds of questions all the time because he checked a brass pocket watch and told him they had one more stop, so probably just over two hours. That would still put their Arrival well after midnight.

Selim thanked him, and sat back as the man continued to the front of the train. He was just considering going back to sleep when they passed a light post outside, causing the shadows to shift eerily. Blinking down at them, Selim thought back to Mandy's either utterly ridiculous or absolutely brilliant idea.

He'd decide which after he tried it. The idea was so simple, he felt a little ridiculous both for not coming up with it himself, and for actually thinking something so stupid might actually work. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and tried to concentrate on the shadows and putting something of himself into them.

Nothing happened.

Refusing to let himself get discouraged, he continued to try. He did everything from focusing any energy he might have into them to mentally asking them questions (feeling rather grateful that no one could see into his mind, as he would probably end up waiting for his mother in an institution).

After a while, he frowned. It wasn't working. Perhaps Mandy had been wrong after all. Or maybe he needed to somehow reach deeper? Although he had no idea how one could reach more deeply into one's soul, he tried, reaching and pushing the energy out and into the shadows...

Suddenly, his eyes flew open and he gasped. He'd definitely done...something. For only a moment, he'd literally been everywhere on the train at once, looking at his own body from every angle imaginable. Even just remembering the multiple perceptions gave him a headache, but he somehow felt giddy, like he had succeeded in his endeavors to some extent.

Glancing over at Mandy, and then around at the rest of the sleeping passengers, he found nothing amiss. Everyone in the car still slept soundly. So it hadn't happened to anyone else (not that he'd expected differently, but it confirmed some of his suspicions). Brow furrowing in confusion, he closed his eyes and tried again. This time, it happened almost instantly.

He gasped again, but ignored the slightly unpleasant change and clamped firmly onto that feeling. Then he slowly opened his own eyes. It added one more perspective to the five different view points he could suddenly see simultaneously, but otherwise nothing changed.

He let out a slight chuckle of triumph and sat back in his chair. He didn't know exactly what he'd done, but it felt like progress. The entire situation seemed suddenly surreal, like one of his dreams, except not so much of a nightmare as just a fact. The shadows had always seemed to be there, waiting for him. Experimentally, he looked down and called one to him. Instantly a vague form lifted up and swirled to meet his outstretched hand. He could almost make out what looked like an eye on it.

From said eye, he could also see himself. The whole experience didn't do much for his head, but he was too excited that he'd figured it out to care. It came from him, from his own shadow, he realized. That was the key. His shadow was the link between him and the other shadows, and he could control them at will.

For several minutes, he just sat there, watching it and watching himself through it. It was, to say the least, strange. Captivated, he reached a hand out to stroke it. He didn't know quite what to expect, but it wasn't what he got. To his surprise, his fingers met...nothing.

No, that wasn't quite accurate. He could feel something there, but it didn't feel very different from the air he breathed, just...denser. It was more like a sudden pressure given form.

"Wow," he muttered to himself. These shadows could cut through metal and hold someone so firmly they couldn't possibly escape but weren't really made of anything?

"Mandy," he whispered, suddenly wanting to show off his accomplishment. It wasn't bragging, he told himself. "Mandy, you've got to-"

A noise behind him cut off his train of thought and he whipped around, suddenly wary. Mandy could handle his strange, new power. He doubted many other people could. Through the windows between cars, he could see the security man coming back. The curse he spat could have made even Johan raise an eyebrow.

With one last, regrettable look at the shadow, he willed it away and cut off his connection to it. Almost instantly everything returned to normal. Breathing a sigh of relief, he began to turn and face the man when a sudden bout of fatigue hit him so hard and fast, he didn't realize he had lain down until his head hit the seat.

Then the surreal feeling came back, although this time it had more to do with his dimming senses that refused to stay active. It was like his body suddenly wanted to rebel against his mind. He could not stop himself from slipping into unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a long time between updates. As I have most of the story written, I will endeavor to be more on time next week. ^^;


	7. Chapter 7

Selim had long since become used to the nightmares. They happened on a regular basis and he'd had them ever since he could remember. Over the years, he had forced himself to learn to deal with the horrific images, cold feelings and downright sickening ideas those dreams brought. Only when he was particularly tired or just dozing did he tend to have dreamless sleep.

"Selim."

He hated it when he had to wake up from those blissfully restful nights where the dreams didn't plague him. That, and he felt particularly tired at the moment, like he hadn't gotten nearly enough sleep in months. Hadn't he just closed his eyes?

"Five more minutes," he muttered. Somewhere in his mind, he was vaguely surprised at himself. It had been years since he'd said something like that.

"Selim, the train's about to leave, get up!"

"Train?" he muttered, regrettably forcing his eyes open. All that met him was darkness and a face barely visible from the light shining through the window. It was surrounded by black frizz. "Mandy?"

She sighed and nodded before switching to shaking her head, obviously not in the mood to joke or giggle like normal. Actually, now that he looked hard enough, she seemed rather droopy-eyed too.

"We can sleep in the station," she muttered. Nodding, Selim gathered his bag (now almost empty of food despite Mr. Corrins' warning) and the hat that had fallen off when he'd struggled to get up. Slowly, they stumbled out of the car and onto the platform.

In the dark, Selim could only just make out old and small, but well kept buildings that could barely pass for a station.

"Where do we go?" he mumbled tiredly.

Mandy shrugged. After a few minutes, one of the security men from the train saw them just standing there in a tired daze and took pity on them.

"Just head over there," he said simply, pointing to a door. "The waiting room is inside."

"Thanks," Mandy muttered and started off in the general direction the man had pointed to.

"No problem," he called after her.

It took every ounce of will just for Selim to keep his eyes open. He fixed the goal of finding somewhere to sleep in his mind and refused to let go of the thought until he found a decent place. Somehow, he doubted the open-aired train platform counted. Desperate for anything to keep his mind going, he scanned their surroundings blearily and found, to his surprise, that the station stood empty. "Were there any other passengers that got off with us?" he asked, glancing behind him at the train.

"Don't know. Don't care," Mandy replied, words slurring together slightly.

Selim nodded in agreement, conceding the point despite the fact that she couldn't see him. Somehow, they made it to the door of the station, and she opened it. Stumbling inside, they found a modest selection of chairs and benches waiting for them.

Without a second thought, they both managed to collapse on opposing sides of the closest section and in moments, they were out.

xXx

Mrs. Baker sat dumbly in her chair, feet tucked neatly to the side as she stared blankly out the window. Two military officers she hadn't seen in over a year sat in front of her now. The tea on the table had long since cooled, and none of the three cups had been emptied.

The fact that these two had come to see her proved the dire nature of the situation—not that she hadn't known that to begin with. After all, she'd been told by the military government several times that they would keep an eye on her son.

The worst part was, she couldn't really bring herself to blame them.

"Mrs. Br—Baker?" Major General Mustang ventured, breaking the still silence that had fallen over the room.

"N-new Optain?"

"Yes," the dark-haired man said with a nod. "And we lost his trail from there."

"They're going to kill him, aren't they," she whispered, speaking the question as more of a statement.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the two exchange glances. "Not if we can help it, Ma'am," Lt. Hawkeye said. A lieutenant speaking out without verbal consent? She almost shook her head at the lack of decorum, but otherwise would have smiled at exchange. She couldn't bring herself to disapprove. Their particular relationship had always amused her and she took what comfort she could from the normalcy of it now.

After a moment, she sighed. "You don't have to keep the pretense up, Lieutenant, General. I can't say I would blame you if you took this chance to rid yourselves of him permanently. You have always had your reasons to...dislike him."

"With all due respect, Ma'am," the General spoke up with a hard edge, "we will treat this like a normal kidnapping and return him to you as quickly as we can unless we have proof that other action is needed."

She couldn't help the slight waver that came to her voice as she turned to look back out the window. "He can die, you know. He heals and grows like a normal human being; he hasn't manifested any powers. I know you've never cared for him, General," she turned to glance at him, eyes pleading, "but he's still my son. He's all I have left."

She didn't hear the man sigh, but she could read the sentiment in his expression. "Mrs. Baker, you have my word. If we find him and he does not require medical attention and has not regained any harmful memories, we will release him into your custody as soon as we can get him back to Central."

His words meant more to her than he realized. He'd been one of the people who had suffered most because of Selim. To this day, his dark eyes still remained slightly milky, a testament of his bout with and success over an unnatural blindness. However, she was not by any means naïve, and caught the threat that his words also carried.

"And if he has...remembered?" She asked softly.

He didn't answer for several minutes. He didn't need to. When he finally opened his mouth, it was only to confirm what all of them already knew. "We will do what we have to. I'm sorry."

She couldn't answer him, so she glanced back at the window, willing her already broken heart to be still and mentally preparing herself to pick up the pieces when what was left of it shattered.

"Please," she muttered to the window. "Please be safe, and please be my Selim."

xXx

When Selim awoke the next morning, he felt infinitely better. It had been a long time since he'd slept that well. Of course, he hadn't been that tired in a while too. It seemed that the shadow thing took a lot out of him.

His eyes flew open as the previous night came to mind. A sense of excitement at his accomplishment and the innate desire to show it off bubbled up again in his chest and he couldn't help but shake his head at the childish feeling. He didn't need anyone's approval, although he was going to thank Mandy for her suggestion, and she'd undoubtedly want proof.

Sitting up, he began to notice how stiff his body was from sleeping on the hard, train-station bench. With a wince and a sigh, he began to stretch, trying to loosen the protesting muscles.

"So you're finally awake," Mandy's voice came from behind him. He managed to twist his body without hurting too much, eyes sweeping over the fairly plain waiting area to land on her. She sat behind him reading a local paper like it was the most offensive thing on the planet. He'd never seen that annoyed of an expression on her face.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked, voice still thick with sleep.

"Oh nothing," she said with fake nonchalance. "I'm just a little ticked that we came all this way for nothing." With that, she shot him a glare.

"What do you mean?" he asked, a little annoyed that he sounded so confused. He must have been _really_ tired last night.

She folded the small paper and set it aside, now fully scowling at him. "The Elrics are gone. Have been for a few weeks. Apparently they went to Xing to visit relatives or something. We wasted all of that time for nothing."

Selim felt his heart sink at each of her words, and when she'd finished her explanation, he slumped back against the bench in defeat. It didn't take him too long to realize that Mandy hadn't stopped glaring at him.

"What?" he asked, returning the sentiment. "Why are you angry at me?"

"You didn't even check to make sure he would be here?" she asked.

"It was kind of a last moment decision," Selim defended. "As I recall, you were there when I made it."

"I guess your act of responsibility took me in. I just assumed you would have done your homework."

That got on Selim's nerves more than he would care to admit. "Since there obviously is a way for me to pry into a complete stranger's life and make sure he'd be where I need him to be," he defended with a growl.

"It would just take a phone call. Phones aren't that difficult to come by," Mandy responded.

"Of course," Selim replied, his own false nonchalance completely in place. "I can imagine that conversation: 'I'm just calling to see if Mr. Elric is there. Oh no, there's no reason why I'm calling to the only public phone in the town instead of actually sending a telegram to ask them. Oh, by the way, do they even have a phone?'" he shot her a dry look. "Phones are still expensive enough out here in the rural areas that the chances of finding one are minuscule at best."

"The older Elric brother's wife is an automail specialist. She has to have a phone. It wouldn't be that difficult to get that number!" Her voice had risen as she continued.

In contrast, his had begun to quiet down. "Forgive me for not knowing personal details like that. I don't usually make a habit of stalking people."

"Stalking? It's simple logic and facts!"

"Why are you so upset?" Selim responded. "Are you angry that we missed them or are you angry because a run away such as yourself obviously has somewhere else to be?"

He could tell that he'd gone too far, but he refused to back down. He was right, after all. Why should he?

"The recruiting," she responded, sounding a little more subdued, and far more hurt. "For the alchemy. It may be over."

"Then why did you accompany me?"

"For the reward!"

Selim almost couldn't stop the grin of triumph from spreading across his face. Game; set; match. "And which is more important to you? My reward and meeting the alchemists, or finding a job, because I doubt this hasn't crossed your mind before. You obviously wanted to come here and meet the Elrics as much as I did and you took that chance. Now that your gamble didn't pay off, you are simply taking your anger out on me. Please refrain from doing so as it is not only misplaced but almost more annoying than your normal personality."

For several minutes she just sat there watching him, that same mask of inexpression on her face. Then she reached down and calmly picked up the paper, stood up and strode rather purposefully away from him. As she passed, she dropped a ticket onto the seat next to him. Before he could bring himself to ask about it, she'd left the station.

Blinking a little in surprise, he glanced down at the ticket and picked it up. It would take him all the way back to Central. She'd probably spent the last of her money on this ticket, and then she'd just left... Apparently he'd said enough that even the reward wasn't worth his company anymore.

His gaze turned back to the door she'd disappeared through and he suddenly felt empty. He'd won the argument and kept his pride intact, but had it really been worth it to hurt her so obviously, especially when she was still trying to look out for him? He should apologize, but something inside of him really didn't want to.

Caught in his miniature dilemma, he sat on the bench until the train back to East City came about an hour later, apparently making its return trip. Knowing that she had to be on the train too, he kept an eye out for her, hoping at least that they wouldn't part on such bad terms.

He didn't see her.

It wasn't until about half an hour into the trip that he realized he hadn't ever thanked her or told her about his new control over the shadows.

Of course, that only made him feel worse.

xXx

He reached East City with no problems at all whatsoever. Apparently his hat did its job at hiding his identity well. Either that or the general human populace just didn't care. He wouldn't be surprised if either or both were true.

After being told that there would be a three hour stop here to restock the coal and give their passengers a break, he decided to get off instead of staying and waiting on the very warm, stuffy train. He felt relieved to finally be heading home. Relieved and strangely depressed, although for the life of him he couldn't figure out why. He'd even gotten rid of the annoying chatterbox (even if he did feel a little bad about that).

So why did he find himself hoping for a problem to arise—with the train perhaps; something that would just give him a few extra hours, or a day? He couldn't quite figure it out. He was looking forward to seeing his mother and the servants again. It would be difficult, getting used to new bodyguards (he felt a pang of regret and thankfulness for Sam and Nick), but there were other servants he'd come to like who would still be there. The maid that liked to tell him jokes, for instance. Or Mrs. Ecklestein, the cook who would let him sneak spoonfuls of the not-yet-finished desserts. Oh yes, once he got back he'd ask for a feast. With how he felt now, he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to eat enough to appease his stomach. Throughout his little adventure, he'd tried to hold back on his rather insatiable appetite and once he got home he could eat his fill. He also wanted to see Johan again, even if they still couldn't be friends.

Besides, they all needed to know that he was alright.

So why did he feel so reluctant? Was it because he hadn't gotten the answers he'd wanted? Thinking about it, he decided that that did have something to do with it, but it wasn't the main problem. As he sat in the train station, chewing on the last of the bread and cheese Mr. Corrins had packed for him, he couldn't seem to come up with an answer.

Why didn't he want to go home?

Frustrated at himself, he decided to explore more of his control over shadows while he mulled the question over. Closing his eyes, he focused on his own shadow. It took longer than it had the second time the night before, but he was finally able to establish a connection. It took him a moment to get to a point where the additional sensory input didn't completely overwhelm him. Initially he began to try and focus on one eye (or 'window', as he decided to call them), and was rather proud of himself for being able to do so. All he found he needed to do was close the other eyes.

Briefly he wondered just how many windows he could open, but didn't want to press his luck. He'd been so drained from doing this the night before, and he'd be heading back to New Optain again. There shouldn't be a problem if he just passed through on the train, but there was still an uncomfortable possibility that he'd meet his kidnappers again.

Than again, he could defend himself this time, but only if he wasn't dead to the world because he'd tired himself out practicing and playing around with the shadows. After about ten minutes of experimenting with the windows, he closed all of them and started trying to move the shadows subtly—as he was not by any means the only person in the large, brick station so at odds with the small, wooden one in Risembool.

He found it simultaneously easy and difficult to keep the shadow movement small and realized that true control would take a while. No one noticed though, even when he accidentally had one shadow move too much or made it bigger than he originally wanted to.

After several blatant dismissals, he decided to test just how stupid the people around him were. He'd find a target, and then move the shadows at their feet until they noticed. Once they did a double take, he'd release control and they'd only find a simple shadow under their scrutiny. For some reason he found this act satisfying and entertaining.

Then he felt just the slightest throb from his forehead.

 _Stupid humans._ Selim almost jumped, losing control over one particular shadow he'd been using to try and get one man's attention as he read a book. He whipped around in his chair. It had almost sounded like someone had whispered in his ear.

"What? Who was that?" He asked, whirling around in the opposite direction, but no one behind him seemed to be interested in his antics. The only person who had taken a seat particularly near him that remained awake was an older woman who glanced over with a curious and rather disdainful look.

Brow furrowing, he leaned back into his chair. Great, now he was hearing things. Sighing, he glanced at the giant clock set on the wall between a large pair of windows. He still felt the little things he'd been doing with the shadows had taken their toll, and he decided to try and relax until they called for boarding on the train again. It was awfully warm in here too. He took off his hat and wiped the sweat from his head. Maybe he should have stayed on the train. Too late now.

After fanning himself a bit, he replaced the hat and slumped against the seat's back. He'd only just gotten comfortable when a shadow fell over him.

"Well look what we have here," a familiar voice had Selim's blood running cold and his eyes snapped up to the large man standing before him and the woman standing beside him with her arms folded.

"Oh look, Marlin, we caught our little runaway monster," the blond-haired woman said with a predatory grin. "Whatever will we do with him?

Selim gulped. They'd found him, and this time he wouldn't have any help come to the rescue. He tensed up and reached for the shadows.

"Where's your little friend?" Marlin asked, looking around at the passengers that had taken up temporary residence in the waiting room.

Selim's mouth formed a thin line. "She'll be right back."

"Is that right?" Marlin asked as he took a seat next to Selim. Then he glanced up at the woman who continued to stand there uncomfortably, a hand on her darkly tinted glasses. "Just sit down, Bonnie."

She sighed and took a seat on the other side of Selim. He glanced around. If he made a break for it now, and they pulled out weapons, innocent people might get hurt.

 _Who cares? They're worthless._ He jumped again at that voice. Where was it coming from? He didn't dare look around this time, too stiff and tense with his kidnappers sitting beside him.

"Listen, kid," Bonnie said with a sigh, "we wanted to apologize."

Selim blinked, creepy voice momentarily forgotten as he looked over at her. "Excuse me?"

"We've decided to cut all ties with the FFO," Marlin replied, sounding more than a bit put out.

"Why?" Selim asked.

Bonnie shrugged. "The original ideals behind the FFO were to reform the government. Then they got this new leader, this Clemin guy you were talking about, I guess." Selim's frown deepened, but he didn't say anything so she continued. "He's only been at the head for a few months and he's already changed it so much. Now it's more about taking over the current government than anything."

"And you disagree?" Selim asked.

"We agree the government needs to change," Marlin's gruff voice interjected. "But the FFO's new ideas aren't going to change anything."

"It'll just make it worse," Bonnie muttered, playing with her glasses again. Now that she was so close, he could actually see her eyes through the sunglasses and blinked.

"You're eyes...they're red," he said.

She shot him a glare than looked away. Now that he looked he could see her hair had been died to look blond. A very convincing blond.

"You're Ishbalan," he stated, blinking in surprise.

"So what of it?" she growled.

"N-nothing," Selim responded, taken aback by her attitude. "I'm just wondering why you're hiding it. Weren't the laws against the Ishbalans lifted after the coup?"

"Changing a few laws doesn't get rid of the prejudice," she responded with a sigh.

"But your people helped to save the country!"

She shook her head. "And before that how many lives were lost in a pointless war? Some things take longer than a few decades to change."

They sat there in silence for several minutes. Finally Selim got tired of the tense atmosphere and spoke again. "So why are you guys here if you're not following me?"

Marlin scoffed. "Are you joking? We thought you'd high-tailed it back to Central. Made straight for the train station, but never caught you. We even tried following you on foot. That' when we split up with Falk."

"The sniper?" Selim asked dryly.

"Yeah," Bonnie said with a shake of her head. "We split up because he was sure you'd head back to central and he thought we were slowing him down." She scoffed. "I'm surprised he didn't just kill us right then and there."

"Me too," Selim muttered, a slight shudder at the memory of the thin man, suddenly very glad he'd decided to head down to Risembool. Was returning to Central now a good idea if that sniper would be there waiting for him?

"Anyway, we had no clue you'd take the long way around just to avoid us. Good job, kid," Bonnie said, sounding more than a little begrudging.

"And why should I suddenly believe that you don't want to have anything to do with me?" Selim asked, realizing he'd begun to relax. Immediately he stiffened up again. These two had kidnapped him before. Why should he trust them? "What brought about this change?"

The two exchanged glances, then Bonnie sighed. "We got word that they were behind the supposed alchemist jobs your friend was talking about. Problem is there have been rumors of some of them disappearing." Selim forcefully swallowed the lump that rose in his throat. Well that didn't sound foreboding at all. "And there have been even more rumors about FFO amassing an army to go against Central."

"What?!" Selim blurted out. "We have to warn Central then!"

"Calm down, kid," Marlin muttered. "They already know. Been making preparations themselves, getting non-military families out of Central all quiet like for the past few days."

"You can tell them when you get back, if you want," Bonnie added. "We don't care. You can call them now even."

"What are you doing then?" Selim asked.

"We're heading to Xing."

"Xing?" Selim asked. "Why?"

"We're not going to be a part of a war if we can help it," Bonnie replied. Marlin gave a firm nod in agreement. "Besides," she continued, "we're not exactly the most upstanding citizens, if you know what I mean. As far as we can see it, we don't have much of a choice."

Selim scowled but didn't respond. _Worthless cowards._ The voice said again. Selim jumped.

"What's wrong with you?" Marlin asked. "You're awfully jumpy."

The dark-haired teen's heart sank. If they hadn't heard that... "I am sitting here with two people who kidnapped me," he muttered defensively. Probably not a good idea to let them know he was hearing a voice that didn't seem to care for them.

Of course the 'hearing a voice' thing didn't bode well for him either.

"Anyway, we wanted to warn you about Falk. You may want to find somewhere else to hole up for a while." Marlin said as he stood up.

"Now that we told you, consider us even," Bonnie muttered. "See you around, kid."

Selim wasn't normally an impulsive person. He liked to study and think things through. He didn't do so well thinking on his feet, so to speak. As such, he took his time coming to conclusions when he had to, and it didn't bother him.

At that moment, he had three thoughts in mind: One: He couldn't go back to Central without risking his life, and potentially the life of others around him. Two: He had a new, rather creepy voice in his head that seemed to like to belittle those around him (although he hoped that one would go away if he just ignored it). Three: He needed answers, no one wanted to give him, and the only people he knew of who might be both able and willing to do so were in Xing at the moment.

"Wait," he said after the two adults' retreating backs. They paused and glanced back at him. He mentally smacked himself. What was he doing?

"What?" Marlin asked gruffly.

Selim swallowed and felt his fists clench at his side. This was a rather unique chance after all, if (perhaps) not the most intelligent. "D...do you have room for one more?"


	8. Chapter 8

_What am I dong? Seriously, what am I doing?_ Selim asked himself over and over again as he sat by the side of the train tracks a little over a mile away from the station. _And since when did I start trusting these two?_ He glanced to the side to see his two kidnappers waiting patiently for the train to pass by.

"This is going to be difficult," Bonnie whispered, loudly enough for them to hear.

Marlin seemed to have taken it upon himself to explain all of his companion's words to Selim. Apparently, she didn't have the patience for such things. Selim found it a bit entertaining seeing as he'd taken the man as someone who didn't actually say much and his companion to be the one who explained. "We have to come at the train from this side, or the engineer might see us," he said. "Actually, they still might, if we're not lucky. We wait for the box cars at the back of the train, and at least two must pass before we can even come out. On a normal train that leaves us about three until the caboose. If we don't make it by the caboose, the conductors there will see us and we'll have to high-tail it out of here."

Selim raised an eyebrow at his wording. 'High-tail' wasn't exactly a word he would have expected to come from the man with the most cultured accent he'd met on his excursion. Marlin ignored the expression and continued. "It's going to be tough because it's a straight shot from the station, so if anyone is looking they probably will see us. That's why we had to get out this far. The train is going to be moving pretty fast by the time it gets here. If you can't get on by the time the beginning of the second to last box gets to you, duck and run back down by the side of the road or you'll put us in danger too."

"If you can't make it, kid, you're on your own," Bonnie muttered.

"I'll keep up," Selim responded with a scowl.

The man shrugged, scratching his gray head before he checked the straps on his backpack for what seemed like the thirtieth time. Bonnie didn't so much as acknowledge him. She seemed a little different from when he'd last spoken with her; colder and more stand-offish. Marlin, in comparison, seemed to have warmed up to him.

They had been waiting for almost an hour so far and he still couldn't believe he was waiting to _illegally_ hitch a train ride to a country he would _illegally_ sneak into with two _criminals_ who had kidnapped him so he could find two Alchemists who _might_ give him some answers about his heritage (and maybe the stupid voice that still seemed to like to pop up every now and then).

Selim shuddered. The last time said voice had said something, it had told Selim he didn't need these people (well, it had called them scum, but that was the gist of it). He sighed and turned to look back down towards the station, and that's when he caught the change of smell in the air.

"Uh, I'll be right back," he said suddenly, not waiting for a response.

The land surrounding East City consisted of a lot of dirty fields and a smattering of sickly trees across them. The open spaces behind Selim actually had several trees lining it. That was where he headed, hopping a fence and coming to rest in the corner of a field that had obviously already been harvested that year. The mud he landed in attested to that.

"What is it with you and mud?" he asked, annoyed.

"Have you lost your mind?" A high-pitched voice hissed back. "What are you doing with them?"

Mandy peeked carefully around the tree, her hair out of the frizz and back into the curls. Apparently she'd found some place to wash up.

"Uh..." Selim started, then stopped, trying to think of what he could actually say to her. He could lie, but he didn't see much of a need to. Unfortunately, she took his pause as an invitation to continue.

"You do realize those are the people that kidnapped you, dragged you out here, and they were planning on handing you over to someone who may very well have wanted you dead, right?"

Selim shrugged, uncaring. "Yes. They've since apologized and warned me of some danger."

She turned to stare at him incredulously. "Seriously? You believe them?"

"They are leaving the country."

"What does that have to do with anything?! Maybe they're going to meet their employer!"

"They were working for the FFO before."

Mandy glared at him. "So they say! We have no reason to believe them!" No, he really didn't. But something else had come up.

_Pathetic. Kill her and forget about this._ Selim almost gasped. Kill? Okay, that definitely wasn't good.

"The Elrics are in Xing."

"So you plan on going into a country, without papers of any sort, and then you want to traipse all over it, without any money, _with_ the two people who wanted to _kidnap_ you, so that you can find two alchemists who may or may not still be there so you can get some answers about your father? Answers, which by the way, you've been living without for fifteen years." Her voice had raised several notches towards the end of her little run-on sentence.

Selim thought about it. When she put it that way, it did sound rather stupid. It also sounded like a bit of fun. It would definitely be safer than facing Falk.

"Yeah, basically," he said finally and turned to go.

"Selim, no! Stop acting so childish!" She said as she practically leapt forward and grabbed his coat.

"Maybe I am acting childish," he responded calmly, even as he shook off her hand. "But I have thought this through. Do you remember their third companion? The sniper you never got to see? He's not with them anymore. He's at my house, waiting for me to come waltzing up."

Mandy stopped and stared at him for a few seconds, before her brow furrowed in anger. "So we'll talk to the police! Or the military!"

"The police and military are busy planning for a possible invasion by the FFO."

"In Central!"

Selim smiled. It wasn't friendly. "So, you heard about it too? They told me that," he gestured towards where the two adults crouched. "Doesn't that make the rest of their information more plausible?"

"No! No it doesn't!"

"And why should I trust you any more?" Selim asked. "You who just left me to make my own way back?"

"I followed you here! I'm trying to keep you safe!"

Selim scoffed. "Fat lot of good you did. You make a lousy bodyguard."

"At least I'm trying not to get you killed!" Somewhere along the line she'd seemed to have forgotten that they were whispering for a reason. "Something which you suddenly seem completely intent on doing! Now, you are coming with me!"

With that, she reached over to grab him. His eyes hardened and he glanced down at his shadow. The darkness came up and wrapped itself around her arm just as she grabbed him again.

Immediately, she stopped, staring at the dark loop before turning to look back at Selim. He didn't like what he saw there. Surprise, wonder, and more than a little fear. Some part of him almost reveled in that, but he really didn't care for the truth of that fact.

"B-but, I thought you couldn't control it..."

Selim deflated, looking away. "Your suggestion. It wasn't right on, but it helped. A lot. I never got the chance to thank you. I still can't control it all that well, but they obey me now; the shadows." He sighed and glanced back up at her. "This is proof that I'm not normal, Mandy. I have to get these answers. And if I have to go tear another country apart to figure this out, then I will."

"And why can't we just go back and wait in Risembool?"

"Did you ask when they were coming back?"

She shook her head and sighed, letting go of his arm. "No, but it can't be that long."

"I need these answers, and I need them as soon as possible, before something happens, like I lose control of them." Or the voice in his head actually convinced him that he should hurt or kill someone.

"And how do you think you'll manage to get into Xing?"

He shrugged. "Sneak in."

"You do realize that that will probably consist of walking for several miles through a desert, right?"

No, he hadn't realized that, but that didn't lessen his resolve any. So he shrugged. "I'll deal."

She put a hand up to the bridge of her nose, massaging it.

"You're awfully stubborn, brat. You know that?" Selim didn't respond. After a few seconds, she threw her hands up into the air. "Fine," she muttered, "then I'm coming with you."

Selim raised an eyebrow as he caused the shadow to release her arm. "That's an awfully long way to go for a meal ticket."

She shot a glare at him. "This stopped being about a meal ticket the moment you decided that those two would be good playmates," she muttered dryly. "Can't we catch our own train?"

"Next one leaves next week," he muttered. "It's now or we may as well go wait in Risembool."

"I still think that would be a better idea."

"Yes," Selim admitted. "Probably, but I'm still doing this. Are you coming?"

She sighed again. "Yeah."

They hopped the fence, landing in the long grass that lined the tracks and started walking back. As they did so, Selim glanced over at Mandy, and realized just what he was dragging her into, and what she was willing to do for him, even after he'd been mean enough that she hadn't even wanted to approach him. Maybe it really wasn't all about the meal ticket anymore.

"Hey, I'm...sorry for what I said back in Risembool," he found himself muttering, ignoring the vague sense of disapproval and betrayal that drifted to him from the back of his mind somewhere.

She sighed. "You were right. I was taking it out on you when it really wasn't all your fault and I did think about going to Risembool first, over the job thing. I was acting just as childishly as you were."

"If not more so," Selim returned.

She elbowed him with a scowl. "Don't know if I'd go that far." They took the next few steps in a contemplative silence before she spoke again. "Do you really find me that annoying?"

Selim winced inwardly, but again, he didn't see much of a point in lying. "Uh, yeah, I kinda do."

Instead of looking offended, she seemed to think about this for a second, looking up at the sky. "I guess that's a good thing," she said, half to herself.

"Seriously?" Selim asked. "You like to annoy people?"

She chuckled. "Of course not, sweetie. Only you."

He'd take that as an 'I forgive you.'

"Will you two get down?" Bonnie's voice hissed at them. "The train's coming!"

"Right," Selim responded, ducking down and hurrying towards the two figures he'd left behind only minutes before.

"Nice to see you decided not to ditch your girlfriend," Marlin muttered.

"I didn't ditch—hey, girlfriend?!"

Marlin chuckled, Mandy giggled, and Bonnie rolled her eyes while Selim blushed. He'd never thought about Mandy like that. First of all, she was older. He'd never gone for older women (well, women in general really as he tended to not be so good around girls). Second of all...she was Mandy.

_Disgusting._ Selim gulped and looked away from all of them, although this time it wasn't out of embarrassment.

_Shut up,_ he told it.

_So, you finally acknowledge me?_

Face drawing into a scowl, he purposefully looked down the tracks at the approaching train. The voice chuckled, but thankfully didn't say anything else.

By the time the train had reached them, it had already picked up a good deal of speed. Selim began to doubt whether he could actually catch it.

"Now!" Marlin said, jumping up and scrambling up the side of the tracks. He caught the handle on the side fairly easily and swung in between the carts. Bonnie was right behind him, pulling herself up expertly, even if she did almost trip. Selim was next. The handle hanging off of the side of the car was almost too high for him, but he had little trouble keeping up with the train. It just took a bit of a jump, and he was up. Then he looked back at Mandy. She kept trying to reach for it, but had already fallen a few feet behind.

Determined, she looked down at the ground in front of her, obviously concentrating on moving faster, but the train was still gaining speed. She wasn't going to make it, and there was nothing he could...

An idea came to his mind. He realized he didn't have a lot of time to think about it and threw caution to the wind. Concentrating, he focused on his shadow, now mixed with the shadow of the box car, and threw it out. It obeyed his will, reaching out and catching her arm before dragging her forward with a yelp. He caught one hand while the other caught the handle.

"Thanks," she gasped as she pulled herself up beside him.

"No problem," Selim grinned and turned to see that Marlin had indeed gotten the door open. They quickly filed inside.

"Close the door," Bonnie said.

"We need to make spaces behind the luggage," Marlin explained. "Small, separate areas so that if one of us is found, the rest of us won't be."

"Right," Selim responded, moving to a corner of the room and working to shift the bags, boxes and chests that had been piled there. The other three took to their own corners and began to do the same.

Marlin continued to explain, even as he worked on his own space. "Once the conductor comes through, count to twenty and then come back here so we can tell you what's going on. It may take an hour for him to come through, it may take minutes. That's why we've got to hurry."

"So shut up, and keep working," Bonnie hissed.

"What's wrong with you?" Marlin returned.

Bonnie huffed. "Nothing. Just hurry."

They each managed to scoot enough to the side to have a small space just for themselves. Selim looked at his rather tiny clearing with growing unease. They wouldn't be able to have lights either. At least it wouldn't be completely closed off.

"Now get inside, and stay quiet," he heard Bonnie say and turned around just in time to see her disappear behind some boxes. Selim had to admit, he was impressed. It didn't even look like there was any space available back there at all. She was the first to really get done. Mandy was second, surprisingly. Probably because of her slight frame.

"Do you need some help, Marlin?" Selim asked once he was satisfied with his hiding place.

"Nah. Always takes me longer. Get hiding."

Selim nodded and took a deep breath. _I'll be fine, I'll be fine,_ he told himself as he climbed over the boxes he needed to and hunkered down. Enough light came through the cracks of the train for him to not totally freak out, but he did not by any means feel comfortable.

After about twenty minutes, the discomfort had grown into a mild panic that he was trying his best to stave off. If this continued, Selim thought he'd go mad, and was just about to say so aloud when he heard the door open. Light flooded into the room, and he let out a small sigh of relief. Thankfully, the noise of the train covered it. The person picked his way through the cluttered compartment, approaching Selim's hiding place. Then he paused. Selim held his breath, scrunching down against the wall and put a hand over his mouth. Then he heard a jangle of keys, the door near him opened again, and then closed.

Selim forced himself to slowly count to twenty. When he hit nineteen, Marlin spoke up. "Alright, it's safe to come out now."

Grateful, Selim stood up. He could not get out into the open fast enough.

"Alright," Marlin said. "We have anywhere from fifteen to forty-five minutes before he comes back, so let's hurry. First of all, who is our last minute traveling companion?"

"Oh, I'm Mandy," she said with a grin. "I'm more or less a wandering alchemist."

"You want to collect the reward for bringing him back badly enough that you'd follow him all the way to Xing?" Marlin asked.

"How did you know that?"

Marlin thumbed over to Selim, who shrugged. He'd told them a bit about her before when they'd asked. Mandy glared at him for a moment before her smile returned and she looked back at Marlin. "Wandering Alchemists never really know when they'll be able to get their next pay check. You know?"

He nodded slightly. "True enough. My name is Marlin and this is Bonnie. Former bounty hunters."

"Pleased to meet you."

Marlin paused, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Alright, I was rather annoyed, but I can get along with whoever I need to get along with. Therefore I'm pleased to meet you."

"You're the kind of person that never gets upset, aren't you," Bonnie said, her voice dry.

"Well, I wouldn't say that," Mandy replied with a smile.

"Anyway, let me go over what is going to happen. There is a turn towards the Xingese boarder, about fourteen or so miles from the first stop. That's where we need to get off."

"In the middle of the desert?" Mandy asked unsurely.

Marlin nodded. "If we wait until after that, we risk too much of a chance at being caught. The station is almost directly on the boarder and there's at least one watchtower that we know of. It's a bit of a walk, but it's also out best chance. Fortunately, it's also the desert at a low altitude so we will have to worry more about sunburn and heat exhaustion than about winter cold.

"Right," Mandy said with a sigh, then turned to glare at Selim. "You'd better have them _triple_ my reward."

"Hey, you didn't have to come," he replied.

"If we can skip the banter please," Bonnie muttered.

Marlin took out a compass and held it up. "We're going to walk far enough North that we shouldn't have a problem with any border patrols. The biggest problem after that will be getting the help we need. I don't suppose either one of you know Xingese." Both Selim and Mandy shook their heads. "Then just stick to the idea that we need to keep up a pretense of dumb tourists. Avoid police if possible. Once we get there, we may split up. Depends on how much you get on Bonnie's nerves."

The blond slapped his arm, but it was obvious she had no real harmful intent.

Marlin grinned at her teasingly before turning back to them. "If we all get into trouble, keep quiet and let Bonnie do the talking. She can talk herself out of just about anything."

"That's why you were doing all the talking when it came to Falk," Selim said.

Marlin and Bonnie both nodded.

"Falk?" Mandy asked.

"The sniper," Selim said absently.

"You could see how dangerous he was too, huh," Marlin asked.

Selim nodded. "Yes. I haven't felt that kind of malice since..." the black-haired man in his dream.

"Since?" Mandy asked.

"I guess...I never have really," Selim muttered, scratching the back of his head and looking away.

"Anyway, we'll let you know when we're slowing down and when we'll jump," Marlin said. "Until then, try to stay inside your hiding place and be as quiet as possible. If you snore, don't fall asleep. Well, that's all we have to say. Now, get back to your hiding places before our man returns. Once he leaves we have no idea when he'll come back so make sure you stay down and hidden."

They all nodded and turned to their respective places. Selim couldn't help but pause and gulp as he looked back at his corner. He'd made his large enough to easily fit him and probably one or two other people (as long as they weren't Marlin's size) there too, but it didn't help. He still felt enclosed and trapped. It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't so dark.

"Come on, Selim," he muttered to himself. "You can do it."

Reluctantly, he climbed over the boxes and baggage, then stood in his little space, unwilling to sit back down until he absolutely had to. When he remained standing, he didn't feel so trapped. It wasn't all that easy to actually stay upright with the movement of the car, but he managed for more than half an hour. Then the conductor came back. As soon as the door opened again, he gritted his teeth and ducked back down.

Just as before, the man walked through without pausing until he got to the other side and stepped out with a jangle of keys. Selim closed his eyes and imagined he was somewhere...anywhere else. It didn't work very well. In his ears, his heart thudded louder than the clacking of the train wheels.

He'd been working on keeping his breathing even for several minutes when he heard something above him and jumped. Someone was climbing over the baggage. His breath hitched in his throat and he tried to scrunch down more, although he knew it would do no good. Had the man heard his breathing and stayed?

"W-who's there?" he asked.

"It's me."

"Mandy?" he felt himself relax for just a moment, then tensed up again. "Is something wrong?"

"No," she said. "I heard you try to give yourself a pep talk earlier. You're trying not to utterly panic with this little space, aren't you?"

Selim sighed. "Is it that obvious?"

"Would it help if I sat there with you?"

"You don't have to treat me like a child," Selim scowled.

"I'm not asking you as an adult to a child," she responded. "I'm asking as a friend."

Selim froze, blinking in the darkness. Friend? He'd only ever had Johan for a friend. No one else had ever really tried to be, much less called him one.

"I...guess there's enough room," he muttered.

He could practically see the smile on her face, although he didn't hear her normal giggle. "Then move aside for a sec," she said.

It took them a few minutes (and more than one awkward appendage to the other's eye or knee) to get situated so they could both sit comfortably, him on one side, her on the other. It made the space much smaller, but Selim had to admit it also felt much safer.

"Hey," he said after a few minutes. "Thanks."

She shook her head, although he could barely see the movement in the dark. "What are friends for?"

He grinned and relaxed against the wall and the chest next to him, feeling comfortable in the car for the first time.

xXx

It did get hot, rather fast. He knew Mandy had shed her coat and he took off his own as well as his hat and vest. Eventually all of his working with the shadows and the general atmosphere of travel caught up with him. Using the coat as a pillow, he allowed the heat to lull him off to sleep.

_Selim opened his eye to find himself in a library he could have sworn he'd never seen before, despite the fact that it felt familiar. It seemed lavish and rich, but modest at the same time. There was a desk and chair off to one side, and a large, soft-looking, high-backed armchair fairly close to them, facing towards the center of the room. Otherwise there was a rug near the door and soft carpet covering the floor._

_He was sitting on the floor by the chair. Standing up, he looked around, trying to figure out why it seemed so familiar. It wasn't like the school library at all, nor was it like his mother's cozy study._

_Just as he started to take a step towards the door, it opened and a little boy came rushing in. He couldn't have been more than 9._

" _Big brother!" he said with a grin and ran to Selim, throwing his arms around his waist. "I knew I'd find you here!"_

_To say he was surprised would be a horrible understatement. He'd never had any siblings._

" _I..." he started, unsure of what to say. Then he smiled and knelt down. "Hi. Could you tell me your name?"_

_The boy giggled. "You know my name! It's the same as yours!"_

_Selim blinked. "It's Selim?"_

" _Of course!" the boy grinned._

Strange, _Selim thought. He didn't like this but he couldn't place why. Something seemed…off. The fact that he couldn't pin point why really bothered him more than he suspected the actual root of the problem would._

" _Right," Selim said, forcing a smile. "Where's um…our mom?"_

" _Downstairs with Dad," little Selim grinned. "He came home early just to see her!"_

" _Oh." Why did this all seem so familiar?_

" _Because it happened to you," little Selim said. Selim started, looking down at the younger boy who looked so much like him. "You don't want to remember, but it all still happened."_

" _Remember?" Selim asked unsurely. "Remember what? Why should I remember any of this?"_

_"You won't, because you're weak."_

_Okay, that was a little too creepy for a kid to say. "That isn't true," Selim replied._

_The boy shrugged. "It's because you're just like them."_

" _Just like who?" This was really starting to make him uneasy._

" _The humans," the child said as if stating the obvious. "The poor, weak, pathetic humans. They're all going to die and serve Father's plan." How could he say that with that brilliant smile? And was it just him, or had the boy's eye-color changed? Where before it had been a dark brown, now the irises looked…was that purple?_

" _F-father?" Selim asked, baking away. Why did this child frighten him so?_

" _Not the one downstairs. That's all fake, although not as fabricated as the life you live now." The smile had vanished, replaced by a cold glare as he advanced slowly towards Selim. "It's utterly disgusting how you fancy yourself to be one of them. Revolting, really. The scum."_

_Why did he know these words?!_

_Selim's eyes suddenly flew wide. The voice. The one that only he seemed to be able to hear._

" _You!" he said._

_Little Selim grinned cruelly. "You finally figured it out? So pathetic. It seems 'stupid' really is contagious."_

_The older teen suddenly realized that he'd been backing away and stopped, fists clenching._

" _Who are you, and what do you want," he asked._

_A wave of amusement and superiority washed over him, and somehow he knew it came from this child...this_ thing. _"Your Pride."_

" _What?"_

" _And I hate it."_

" _Hate what?"_

" _Being weaker than you!" the child's lip curled in utter disgust for a second, but then he looked back at Selim, face neutral. The older boy now stood firmly, glaring at the younger._

" _Maybe I'm not as weak as you think I am."_

_The smaller boy laughed as if to humor a child who had tried to make a joke. "You are. But don't worry, you won't be around for long." Something jerked Selim's legs out from under him and he yelped, falling backwards and flailing. He didn't know how the younger boy had moved so quickly, but he somehow stood above Selim, glaring down condescendingly. " I'll end your miserable existence…and then I'll end theirs."_

_And that suddenly, he wasn't in the library anymore, he was falling down, racing face-first towards a ground that he couldn't see._

" _YAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" he yelled, willing something to save him. The shadows reached out and grabbed him in mid-air, pulling him back—_

"WHOA!" Selim yelped as his entire body lurching backwards brought him out of the nightmare. Beside him, Mandy flailed madly as she also slammed against the wall of baggage. Brain still thick with sleep, he forced it to work and assess the situation. What had happened? The train was stopping? So suddenly? He blinked and glanced over at Mandy. She seemed just as confused as he did.

"Get out!" he heard Bonnie yell. "You'll be crush—"

The baggage car jarred suddenly forward, cutting her off as it crashed into the car in front of it. Beside him, Mandy screamed at the impact. He also let out a yell as they both made contact with the wall and some of the smaller boxes rained down on top of them. Then he felt the world tilt, and suddenly realized what Bonnie had been talking about. The baggage they'd used to hide behind would crush them when the car fell on its side.

Apparently Mandy realized it too for as the car fell, he heard her terrified gasp. Not knowing what else to do, Selim grabbed her and called the shadows.

The world twirled, tilted and bounced as their box car slid down into the desert sand outside.


	9. Chapter 9

With a mighty crash that rattled teeth and bones, the car fell over, spilling heavy bags, packages and boxes onto Selim's make-shift shield. After what seemed like forever, they came to rest and silence fell. Selim and Mandy sat there, breathing in the darkness, as if waiting to confirm that nothing more would happen. After the turbulence of the last few minutes, it felt as if the whole Earth had come to a complete, silent and eerie stand still.

“Selim?” Mandy asked, breaking the quiet.

“Yes,” he croaked. “I’m here. Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” she muttered, sitting up and hitting her head on his shield. “Oof!” He found himself surprised that he could feel the slight change in pressure when she did. It only seemed to add onto the incredible weight that had fallen on their protection, and brought the realization of how close said protection was from vanishing.

“Crawl out,” Selim said.

“Huh?” she asked.

“It’s getting…hard to hold the…shield. Crawl out. Hurry!” It was draining him somehow. He could feel it, even if he didn’t know how to describe it. It almost seemed as if he were using his own spirit—his soul to power it, and he could _not_ keep it up for long.

He made a hole in the shield, in an area where there wasn’t much weight. “Over there…” he grunted.

She couldn’t see him, but she must have noticed the hole appearing somehow, because she immediately leapt towards it and pushed herself out.

“What about you?” she asked.

“I’m…coming…”

He turned onto his stomach and, with no small amount of effort, pushed himself up on his hands and knees. Crawling had never been so difficult. When he reached the gap and put his hands up, he couldn't help but feel relief as Mandy grabbed his arms and pulled. The moment he stood, he allowed the shield to collapse below them.

Mandy eeped as she dropped from atop the shield to the ground and shot him a dirty look. At least he assumed it was dirty. He still couldn’t see very well in the dark.

“You two,” Marlin asked, crawling over and holding his arm. Selim winced at its awkward angle it stuck out at. “Are you alright?”

“Yes,” Selim responded tiredly.

The man shook his head. “Then you must have the Devil's luck because any normal person would have been killed.” Selim flinched at his wording. He certainly was not normal, and he hoped he wasn’t some sort of devil.

“Bonnie?” he called, turning towards her corner.

“I'm here,” she muttered from the darkness somewhere. “And I'm fine. Now we need to find a way out of here. I'm going to try the door on this side. Marlin, you get that side.”

“Yes ma'am,” Marlin replied, sounding more amused than chastised or hurt at her abrupt manner.

“Don't you start with me,” she replied, but some of the tension had eased from her voice. Selim and Mandy glanced between them, realizing they had missed something. “Just get to the door,” Bonnie muttered, already picking her way over the baggage from the sliding and grunting. Selim suddenly realized how lucky they'd been to have the car fall on his and Mandy's side. If not, they may have been the only two survivors in the car. Marlin and Bonnie didn't have shadows to protect them.

“Mandy,” Marlin whispered. “Why don't you go help Bonnie. Selim and I will work on this door.”

Selim heard Mandy sigh at the prospect of climbing all the way over to the other end, but she didn't complain. Later Selim would look back and realize just how shaken up she must have been to not say anything.

“Alright, let's see if we can open that door,” Marlin muttered to Selim.

It proved to be a matter of being able to climb on top of the mounds of luggage and then getting whatever had fallen next to the door away from it. Then they had to break the door down as it had been locked. Not fifteen minutes later, Selim let out a relieved sigh as they finally managed to break through the wood and warm sunlight came streaming in.

It was only about a foot and a half drop to the warm sand outside, and Selim scurried out as quickly as he could. A warm breeze brushed roughly over his body and the landscape looked harsh and desolate as far as the eye could see, but Selim didn't think he could ever feel more at ease in such a situation. The idea of an area so _open_ and _light_ brought a smile to his lips. He could be very happy living here; if he could somehow manage to find water and/or food, of course.

“Come on,” Marlin said.  Selim glanced over his shoulder to see the man who had spoken had turned back to apparently help Mandy and Bonnie, who were both trying to crawl over the luggage safely. “Once we get out, we can just mingle in with the other survivors. With luck, no one will ask for our papers, and if they do we can just tell them they got lost. This may be the best thing that could happen for us.”

“How can you say that?” Selim heard Mandy say, her voice unusually quiet. “We don't even know how many people got hurt.”

“I never said I wanted it to happen,” Marlin retorted. “But we can take advantage.”

Intending to try and see what had happened, Selim walked out from the gap between the cars to survey the scene. Only the back few cars in the train had derailed at all, with the last five or six being the ones to topple over. Far ahead, he could see the smoking engine car with the steam and soot that shot from it blackening the blue sky around it. The passengers had been ushered off of the train, probably by the conductors and security men stationed in the front of the car.

With that thought, Selim's head snapped back to the caboose. It lay on its side just as the baggage car did, and it didn't seem like anyone had come out yet. _The conductors,_ he thought.  It hit him that he didn’t feel particularly worried but more morbidly curious.  That thought did worry him a little.

“Hey,” he yelled out as he came up to the red car lying on its side in the sand.  Some of the metal on back had been bent out of place.  Selim dismissed it.  He’d heard what train crashes could do to metal. “Hey,” he called again as he made his way to the back, “Are you guys alright? Hello?”  Finally making it to the rear-facing door, he grabbed the handle and started yanking. “Hey!” Okay, now he was beginning to feel a tad worried. 

It took a few tries, and when he finally managed to open it the door almost came off in his hands. Selim only spared it one thought before turning to peek inside the comparatively dim interior. The two conductors lay on what would have normally passed for the windows of the car.  The glass below them had been pressed into the sand and surprisingly, had not broken. Their two bodies sprawled amidst what was left of a tea set as well as several clip boards and papers.  Thankfully, the small table and other furniture in the room had been nailed to the floor, probably in case of just this kind of occasion.

“Hey,” Selim said again, not liking the still atmosphere.  At his voice, one of the men moved, groaning as he went to sit up. Selim hurried to him first, struggling over the tables and desks that had been fixed to the walls.  “Are you alright?”

“Dunno,” the man muttered, looking blearily up at Selim. “Who're you?”

“A...passenger on the train,” Selim replied, hoping his lie didn't sound too false. Either because he was too tired or too injured, the man accepted the explanation and started to sit up.

“Where's Dein?”

"Dein?” Selim asked. “You mean, the other guy here?”

The conductor looked over at his comrade lying still on the glass and swore aloud. “Dein! Dein!”

“You should probably keep still,” Selim pointed out, but the man would have none of it.

“Dein,” the man repeated, ignoring Selim as he hurried over the other man who didn't respond. Then he looked back at Selim. “What happened?”

Selim shook his head. “We don't know. The train just jerked to a stop...”

“The shadows...” the man on the ground said, his voice thick with pain. Selim's blood froze at his words.

“W-what?” he asked.

The first conductor had turned his attention back to his coworker.  “Dein!  Are you alright?”

“I dunno, Terry,” he muttered as he tried to prop himself up on his elbows. Then he looked up at Selim. “To answer your question, I saw two black...things come out of the shadows of the train. It was like they tied the train to the tracks. That's what stopped the train. I've never seen anything move that fast...”

Every word drained more blood from Selim's face.  By the time the man was done explaining, the boy felt faint.  It was too much of a coincidence, but why would his powers act up like that?  It made no—

_The dream!_ Selim realized. He'd been falling and wanted something to stop him.  That must have translated to real life too.  Could he do that?  Apparently, but it had never happened before as far as he knew. 

This was what he’d been afraid of.  If that wasn’t a loss of control, he didn’t know what was.  This added a whole new level of danger to his situation.  With his nightmares, he’d be a threat to anyone near him when he slept now.  A cold knot of ice began to form in his stomach.

“Shadows?” Terry asked.  “You must have hit your head pretty hard there, buddy,” the first conductor was saying to his coworker, obviously relieved that his coworker was speaking in coherent sentences.  “But I’ll take that.  We’re both lucky we’re not dead.”

_It's all my fault..._ The thought dashed through Selim's mind like a razor.

“You didn’t see them?” Dein, asked incredulously, looking up at Terry.  “It was like two monstrous black hands reached up and tried to stop us from moving!”

Even with a possible concussion Selim could see Terry’s skeptical look.  Apparently Dein caught it too.  “Terry, I'm telling you, that's what I saw!” he protested.

The second man sighed. “Whatever you say. Let's go and see what other damage has been done.  I’m sure boss will want us to help.”

_Damage..._ Selim's eyes went wide and he suddenly felt sick. What if other people had been hurt because of him?  Before the conductors could say anything else, Selim turned and launched himself back outside and into the scorching sun.

The sand did not make running easy, but he ignored it and pushed his legs harder. Marlin was just helping Bonnie down next to Mandy when he reached them.

“Selim, there you are,” Mandy said, turning to him. “Where--”

“I'm going to go and check to see if anyone else was injured,” he interrupted.

“Hey,” the dark-haired girl started as Selim turned and ran on. “Wait for us!” He didn't.

Between the sand, the heat, the passengers standing in scattered clumps and the actual length of the train, it took him several minutes to approach the engine; it felt more like hours. The smoke he'd seen earlier had begun to settle as a light fog down around the front of the train as people yelled and ran about. A broken ring of curious people watched with more than a little anticipation several yards away.

“What happened?” Selim asked one of the bystanders once he reached a clump.

The man he'd addressed looked down at him, studied him for a moment, than shrugged as if to say “why not?”

“When the train stopped, they didn't. Kept pushing ahead—something about getting away from a monster. It must have been a mirage. Anyway, because they were dragging cars in the sand...” the man shook his head. “It was just too much for the old engine.”

“How...do you know...all this?” Mandy asked, stumbling up to them and breathing hard. She placed a hand on Selim's shoulder for support as she took deep breaths.

“One of the conductors told us a few minutes ago. Wanted us to stand back while they tried to rescue some guy trapped in there. One of the workers I think.  I don’t think engines can explode, but the guy could be burned pretty bad if they don’t get him away from all that heat.”

_Because of me..._ Selim thought.

A dark laugh echoed in the back of his mind. With some effort, he ignored it. Then he shot a look at Mandy and took off towards the conductors and train workers as they ran about and yelled at each other.

“Selim!” Mandy called. Several other people cried out after him as well, but he ignored them. No one would die because of him. Not today.

“Hey!” a large hand on his shoulder jerked him to a stop suddenly. “What are you doing here? Stay back!”

Selim followed the arm up with his eyes to a man large enough to give Marlin a run for his money, except far more muscular.  Selim swallowed and shoved away the intimidation he felt. “I can help!” He burst out.

“We'll handle it,” the man said, shaking his head. “Go back and stay safe.”

“But--” Selim started, but a voice behind them cut him off.

“We're alchemists,” Mandy gasped, running (more like stumbling really) up to them, face red from running and the heat. “Show us...where the man...is trapped...and we can...help.”

The large man's frown deepened. “We can't let a bunch of kids in.”

“We're older...than we look,” Many growled, still struggling to catch her breath. “And last I heard…alchemy wasn't limited by age.”

“Jeff!” a new voice called out. The man holding Selim looked up sharply.

“Sir!”

“It's jammed tight!” the new voice continued. It belonged to an older man with a gray mustache.  He’d taken off the coat of his uniform (as had many others) and was covered in smudges. He seemed to be the person in charge of the train, the head conductor or driver or whatever his title was. Selim couldn't remember and didn't particularly care at the moment.

The man went on, addressing 'Jeff'. “Stupid new design. Lee's still trapped. We couldn't budge the stupid scrap of metal, but the whole thing's about to blow! Go tell the passengers to get as far away as they can!”  With that, the leader began towards the onlookers.

“Sir!” Jeff said again, turning to drag Selim off, but his hand had loosened a touch and it wasn't difficult for Selim to yank himself out of his grasp. “Oi!” the man protested. Selim ignored him, pushing through the sand towards the source of the smoke.

“Selim!” Mandy shouted again, sounding exasperated. He turned around, running backwards (no easy feat with the local terrain).

“I can handle myself! Transmute a wall to protect everyone!”

Mandy looked about ready to kill him. “But--” she started, but Selim cut her off.

“No! No sense of putting both of us in danger. Go! I'll be fine!”

“You'd better be!” the dark haired girl screamed after him before turning and heading back towards the people.

“You’re gonna go with her!” Jeff growled, swiping for Selim, who ducked easily. 

“I can help!” he insisted, staying ahead of the man.

“You’re gonna die!” the large man rebutted.  He tried to catch up to the teenager, but his size and weight made him much slower than Selim.  He pushed himself to stay ahead of the man, eyes intent on the black engine car ahead of him.

Most of the other men staffed on the train had abandoned the blackened vehicle, and as Selim approached, he could feel why. The heat went from 'sweltering' to 'nuclear'.

“Are you crazy?” The head conductor's voice said from behind him. Selim paused and glanced around.  The older man came huffing up to him.  A ways back, Selim saw Jeff’s retreating figure.  Apparently the head conductor had decided to chase Selim instead.  He’d probably ordered Jeff to go back while he got the crazy kid who’d thrown himself into danger. “We have to get out of here!”

“I'm an alchemist,” Selim blurted. “Show me where the guy is trapped and I can save him!”

The conductor regarded him skeptically for a moment before glancing uneasily at the train.  It took him a few seconds to come to a decision, and he nodded curtly. “This way. Don't touch anything or it'll burn you.” He led Selim up a small set of stairs and into the heart of the heat.

“How did it get so hot?” Selim gasped. Wasn't it supposed to be an oven of sorts for the coal to burn?  But they had regulators, so what had happened?

“It's essentially a new engine design they put in an old car,” the man explained, obviously dumbing it down for Selim (who rolled his eyes, but didn't comment as they didn't have time). “With all the jerking that happened just now, we found out some of the equipment wasn't secured like it should be. Here!”

Coal had scattered over the floor of the tiny chamber ahead of them. It looked as if half the room had collapsed.  Bent and blackened scraps of metal lay everywhere, both in sheets and what looked like beams. Selim didn't even know they had beams like that aboard trains. Maybe it was a Xingese design?

“This is what happens when we keep pushing forward with half the train dragging in the sand,” the conductor muttered as he skirted some debris. “He's over here!”

Trying not to touch anything with his bare skin, Selim followed the conductor as best he could, and found a man pinned to the wall with several pieces of metal, cut up and unconscious.  Selim could still make out his Xingese features, despite the flushed cheeks and otherwise reddening complexion, especially where his skin lay against metal.  They’d probably have to worry about heat stroke if they actually got him out of here.

“The metal’s jammed into the wall,” the conductor pointed out.  “That’s why we couldn’t move it.  You can transmute it though, right?”

Selim blinked.  He’d been planning on cutting through it, but he had expectations to live up to.  Alchemists usually tended to be rather showy. 

_Too bad,_ he thought to himself.  He didn’t have time for showy.  “No, it will take too long,” he replied.  “I’ve got a faster way.”  Concentrating, he reached into his shadow.  He didn’t want to show the man his shadows (and since when did they become his?), but felt he had little choice. 

Once he felt he had a good hold on the darkness, he raised his hand and took a steadying breath of heated air.  He had to do this carefully.  If he didn’t keep a firm control he could end up decapitating the unconscious man.  Then he cut his hand sharply through the air.  The shadow copied his motion, shooting away from his feet.  They sliced through the metal like a warm knife through butter.

Behind him he heard the conductor gasp, but ignored him as he rushed forward.  He’d left his coat in the box car when the luggage had fallen on them, so he didn’t have much more than his shirt to protect him.  Steeling himself against the pain, he leaned in to grab the metal, but a gloved hand caught him and drew him back.

“I’ll get him.  You get out of here!”

“I’m not leaving until he does!” Selim replied.  He could tell the conductor was about to keel over from the heat.  He couldn’t, in good conscience, leave them now.

The conductor didn’t look happy, but he also didn’t argue the point.  After a moment, he turned and began to grab the metal and yank it away from the man.  It only took a minute to clear the metal away to a point where they could drag the man away, but with the increasing heat and pressure, it felt more like an eternity. 

“Let’s go!” the head conductor yelled at Selim as he slung the man’s red arm around his neck.  Nodding, Selim lead the way out and into the comparatively cooler air of the desert. After a few steps, he turned back to see the red-faced conductor gasping for breath as he struggled through the sand.  Now that they had room, Selim could help.  Running back to them, he threw the man’s other arm over his shoulders. 

A good half-mile away he could see what looked like a large, stone wall and people running towards it.  It didn’t look like sandstone.  Selim grinned.  That had to be Mandy’s handiwork.  Apparently the head conductor saw it too as he immediately started for it.

Of course, they weren’t that lucky.  They’d barely made it a quarter of the way when the engine exploded.  Selim tried to throw up a shadow, but it seemed sluggish; less responsive for some reason.  His efforts weren’t enough to stop the wave of energy from throwing them into the sand.  He still tried to maintain his shield of shadows, managing to deflect a lot of the debris that had been thrown in their direction.

Beside him the head conductor started shouting profanities, but Selim tuned him out, focusing more on keeping them safe.  The debris began to rain down from above and Selim moved the shield to shade them.

“What is that?” the conductor asked. 

“Alchemy,” Selim returned. 

“Doesn’t look like any alchemy I’ve ever seen.”

He didn’t answer.  A few seconds later, it stopped raining coal and Selim let the shield fall.  “Come on,” he muttered. He’d already been tired when he’d taken his little nap earlier.  He didn’t know how long he’d slept on their way into the desert (judging by the sun’s position, a few hours), but it hadn’t felt like more than a few minutes to him.  Then, on top of that, he’d used his power even more recently, not to mention the heat and the physical exertion.  He suddenly began to realize just how other people felt when they strained their bodies.  It was a new and rather unwelcome experience for him.

He was beginning to feel light headed by the time people from behind the wall had come out to help them. 

“Sir!”

“Sir, are you alright?”

“What happened?”

“Here’s some water, sir.”

People began to talk to them, but Selim barely had enough presence of mind to realize someone had relieved him and the head conductor of their burden.  Someone thrust a canteen of some sort into his hand and he downed it gratefully.

“Selim?” Mandy’s voice came from somewhere in front of him.  “Are you okay?”

Ah, so that vague blur was her. 

“Need to lie down,” he muttered.

“Sure,” she said, taking him by the hand and leading him to the shade behind the stone wall.  “You rest here.  I’ll take care of everything else.”

He nodded and sat in the sand, then plopped back onto the ground.  It was surprisingly comfortable.  He heard her turn to leave.

“Wait,” he muttered.

“What?” she asked.  Why did she sound so far away?

“Dangerous when I sleep.  No one come near.”

She didn’t answer for a moment.  Finally, she nodded.  “Alright.”

He nodded and closed his eyes.  Before she’d taken three steps, he’d nodded off.


	10. Chapter 10

_He was getting tired of these dreams.  So much so, that he almost wanted his old nightmares back._

_“Leave me alone,” he muttered sullenly to the vortex around him. A laugh met his words and he sighed.  The owner of that laugh wouldn’t comply.  He didn’t care to even listen._

_He could feel the boy’s awareness of him, but neither really wanted to converse at the moment.  Selim couldn’t help but feel relieved.  The boy frightened him, and he’d dreaded their seemingly inevitable meeting again.  Fortunately, it did not seem like now would be that time.  Selim had been sitting in the crimson vortex for what felt like forever and no one had appeared to him.  The boy just continued to watch from somewhere beyond Selim’s conscious perception._

_Selim hated how he could know that…how he could_ feel _the vague nonchalance that really only masked impatience and the anticipatory excitement that roiled beneath both.  The teenager’s frown deepened.  He could feel something building, and he wasn’t sure what or how, but he knew once it was released, the consequences would not be pleasant._

_He just wished the sensation wasn’t so vague._

_In any case, he had long since moved past wary and frightened, only to sit inside this dream-like state and become more and more frustrated.  Finally, he spoke, unwilling to tolerate the silence for long._

_“Why can’t you just go away?” he asked the red haze, not really expecting the boy to answer, although he knew the boy knew Selim had addressed him._

_“Why can’t you?”_

_To his surprise, the answering question seemed to ooze around him, weaving its way through the endless scarlet current.  Selim’s frown turned into a glower.  “Because I’m here now.  Why should I just leave?”_

_“Because you’re weak.”_

_“I’m stronger than you,” he responded without really thinking and blinked at his own answer.  He was stronger, Selim realized.  He didn’t really know how, but somehow he knew he was currently stronger than the voice._

_“Not for long.” The absolute certainty in those words caused him to shudder._

_After a moment, Selim shook his head.  “Alright, we’re both here and we both want to be stronger.  Isn’t there some way for us to coexist?”_

_The voice paused for a moment.  “Could you ever hate humans as a whole?”_

_“No.”_

_“Then the answer to your question is ‘no’.  There is no way to coexist with one who takes pity on lower life forms.” He sounded so nonchalant when he said it, as if he were stating a simple fact._

_Selim set his jaw determinedly.  “I won’t give up without a fight.”_

_The other voice sneered.  “I wouldn’t expect you to.  You and I are the same after all.”  Somehow that made Selim sick, and he didn’t want to explore why.  The boy continued.  “It doesn’t matter.  You’ll still lose.”_

_“We’ll see about that,” Selim retorted.  The voice didn’t answer._

xXx

A grumbling in his stomach area brought him slowly back to consciousness.  It took him a moment to realize how comfortable he felt.  He’d expected dry air and oppressing heat, but while he did feel warm, the sensation was not uncomfortable.  Actually, the air he breathed felt almost cool.  As a matter of fact, he felt as if he were sleeping on a cloud instead of on sand; or at least a bed—a very, _very_ nice, unfamiliar bed. 

The last vague memories of what had happened before he’d practically collapsed continued to return to him, and none of it matched up with what his body was telling him now.  Maybe Mandy had transmuted him something? 

Frowning, he went to open his eyes.  It felt as if all the sand missing from below his head had found its way below his eyelids, and they did not want to move.  Groaning, he put his effort into forcing them open.  He succeeded in gaining a sliver of light that forced him to snap his eyes shut again. 

The light _hurt._

Dang, what had hit him?  His sleep-muddled mind couldn’t seem to figure out exactly why he felt like he’d been run over by a train.  He twisted under the blankets and brought a leaden hand up to rub his eyes.  It felt like he’d put his body through the workout of a lifetime and then plunged himself into water.  His limbs just didn’t want to move. 

He really wanted to just go back to sleep, but knew his mind wouldn’t let him in the unfamiliar environment.  That and his stomach continued to growl incessantly, often accompanying dull aches that stabbed through his stomach.  He was _ravenous._   As a matter of fact, he hadn’t been that hungry in…well, he couldn’t really remember ever being that hungry actually.

Sighing, he forced his eyes open again, shielding them with his hand.  It still hurt, but the sensation became far more manageable this time, probably because he was expecting it and had braced himself for it. 

The first thing he noticed was that he hadn’t been laid on an actual bed, but on the floor.  His vantage point of the rather plain room told him that much.  Looking down, he saw a rich futon covered in a very smooth material.  Silk?  Probably not, but it felt just about as soft.  The second thing he noticed was that he was alone.  Normally this would not have been a problem, but he really wanted some answers.

The third thing he noticed was the unsettling feeling that had knotted inside of his chest.  The closest description he could think of to describe it was something akin to an uprooted tree that hadn’t been transplanted yet.  He felt completely out of his element.  It wasn’t a pleasant feeling, but seemed somehow liberating at the same time. 

He managed to push himself into a kneeling position and sat back as he raised a hand to rub at his scar out of habit.  A shock rushed through his hands as soon as he touched it and he jumped, jerking his hand back. Blinking, he studied his tingling fingers.  That was weird.  Static electricity maybe?  Slowly he put his fingers back on his forehead.  It felt tender, but otherwise just like normal. 

He dismissed the strange phenomenon and went to run a hand through his hair, only to realize that he hardly had any growth on his head. 

“What the…!” he started, raising his other hand to run it over his scalp.  Someone had cut his hair while he slept!  Oh, he had something to say about that!  It took him forever to grow his hair out to a decent length because it grew so slowly.  He hated the idea of having anything resembling a military cut. 

Grumbling he went to stand up and noticed he’d been dressed in a robe of sorts.  A blush rose to his cheeks when he realized he had most definitely not put that on himself.  He didn’t see any clothes, wardrobes or closets in the room so it would have to do, but that didn’t erase the fact that he didn’t like it. 

Still, uncomfortable or not, he was going to leave the room behind and demand answers from the next person he saw.   Unsteady though he was, he managed to make it to the sliding door, hand-eye coordination improving as he continued to force his body to follow his mental instructions.  The aching pain had begun to ease too, much to his relief.

It took more effort than he cared to admit to get the rather light door to slide open.  He glared menacingly at it for a moment before going to step forward.  Then he froze.  The room he found couldn’t have been more different from the little sleeping area he’d just left.  Where the previous room had been plain and undecorated, this new room was lavish.  At least three matching wardrobes had been placed next to what looked like a deep, walk-in closet.  Even though he couldn’t see the back of it, he could still see racks of clothing hanging from railings on the side.  They looked foreign.  Probably Xingese, he concluded as that’s where they’d been heading before the incident with the train.

Pushing that to the back of his mind, he continued to study the room, mostly out of surprise; nothing in the room seemed inexpensive or of poor quality.  He hadn’t known what to expect upon exiting the sleeping chamber from before, but this was not it.  A large basin and pitcher, both full of water, had been placed on a stand next to the door he’d just walked out of.  A little way further he could see a tub full of steaming water behind what looked to be a sort of portable, folding wall he’d never seen before, probably set up for privacy.

In the other corner of the room, across from both the tub and the closet, a sitting area full of cushions had been arranged next to two or three wooden chairs and a table.  The area had a distinctly western feel to it, despite the obvious eastern influence. 

The rest of the room had ornate tapestries hanging from the walls, each showing various landscapes or scenes of men fighting and women with some of the most elaborate hairdos and clothing he’d ever seen hiding behind fans, or their sleeves.  Vases sat on tables or floors in every corner of the room and on the side of the door in the wall opposite from Selim’s current position.  They looked intricate enough that he didn’t even want to go near them for fear of breaking them. 

All in all, it looked like a room from an enormous mansion more than anything else he’d ever seen, and he kept realizing over and over again how expense had not been spared.  He had never really wanted for anything much as a child as his mother had been fairly well off.  He rubbed shoulders with the wealthy of Amestris on a fairly regular basis, but this was still far more than anything he’d ever been subject to before. 

It was a little overwhelming. He still had no idea how he could have come into such a situation while he’d slept. 

“What is going on?” he asked aloud, not bothering to hide his shock.  Then he glanced around uneasily and began to make his way to the door that would lead him outside.  It was a sliding one similar to the door he’d opened before, and took considerably less effort to open due to his returning strength.  No sooner had it been fully opened, than a Xingese man in a rich, black robe and matching hat stepped before him, bowing with one hand over his fist raised to his eye level.

“Honored guest,” he said with an obvious accent.  “It pleases all of Xing that you have finally awoken.  My name is Xhou and I am to serve you.”  He spoke very good English, despite his accent.  Selim blinked at him, unable to formulate a response due to even more surprise.  The man took this as a bad sign as he bowed even lower.  “Forgive me for not attending to you earlier.  I was instructed to wait out here until your awakening.”

“N-no,” Selim said hurriedly.  “That’s fine.  I…just don’t know what’s going on.”

“Of course!” Xhou replied, still unmoving from his humble position.  “Forgive me, good sir.  When the train from Amestris did not arrive, the emperor sent out a convoy.  We found what was left of the train in the middle of the Pi Shi desert.”  Selim frowned.  Pi Shi?  He hadn’t heard that name for the large desert that separated Amestris from Xing before.  Xhou either didn’t notice his confusion, or he dismissed it and continued. 

“When the entourage found your party, they were told of your exploits to save the train workers.  Your comrades were worried over you because you would not wake.  They feared you had severe damage from your rescue efforts.

“You, along with the rest of the travelers from the train, were then brought to Xing for treatment.  When the Emperor heard of your brave deeds, he insisted you and your friend be brought to the palace as his honored guests.”

For several seconds Selim didn’t answer as his mind processed this information.  Finally he managed to force out an ‘oh.’

After several more seconds, Selim began to fidget.  The man still hadn’t moved.  “Why do you keep standing like that?” he asked.

“You have not given me permission to rise, good sir.”

“Oh…uh, please rise?”

The man stood straight, arms coming to rest in front of him, still griping each other loosely.  He had typical Xingese features, dark hair over dark, almond-shaped eyes and pale skin set into a round face.

“The Emperor has requested that he meet you personally so as to honor your actions.”

Selim blinked again, face going pale.  “He what?!” He’d never dreamed of meeting The Emperor before. 

“On the Emperor’s request, we have prepared everything you would need to clean and clothe yourself so you can present yourself to him properly at your earliest convenience.”

“Clean and clothe…” Selim repeated dumbly.  It took a moment for the man’s words to sink in.  Then he hesitantly glanced back over his shoulder at the room.

“I am here to assist in any way I can,” Xhou continued.

“W-where’s Mandy?” he asked, suddenly wishing for a familiar face.

“Your friend requested to use the…uh, you say tell-phone?  She will return shortly.”

Communications?  Selim cocked his head, troubled.  Who did Mandy have to contact?  Her father?  Then again, it wasn’t like her life was any of his business.  Maybe she had to meet someone else and had thrown that off to chase after him.  That sounded a little more logical.  The thought also succeeded in making him feel a bit guilty.

“If you would please, we have provided a bath for you,” the man urged. 

“Oh, right.  I saw,” Selim muttered and stepped aside, gesturing for the man to come in.  “Uh, how long have I been asleep?”

Correctly interoperating his gesture, Xhou walked inside and slid the door shut before turning to Selim and bowing again.  “I believe two days, sir.”

“Really?” he asked, more than a little surprised.  That seemed to happen a lot lately.  “No wonder I’m so hungry.”

“I will have something brought to you immediately,” Xhou replied.  “You may eat before you see his Excellency, the Emperor.” 

“Oh,” Selim managed to reply, annoyed at how this man seemed to be able to keep him so off balance.  “Thank you.”

“Meanwhile, please make use of the bath.  It has been scented and oiled.  To wash your hair, you may make use of the basin near the tub.”

“Right,” Selim responded, hating how childish he sounded. 

With that, the servant turned and left Selim alone.  Untying the sash around his waist, the teenager decided to get into (and hopefully out of) the bath now, before Xhou returned with his dinner.  Honor or not, he didn’t want anyone—even a servant—around while he bathed.

xXx

Selim had to say he felt extremely content at the moment.  Xhou had brought trays upon trays of food for Selim to choose from and then proceeded to watch in amazement as Selim cleaned each of the trays off.  No normal person could have ever kept up with it, but then again, Selim’s appetite had never been exactly normal.  After five trays and about fifty different dishes, Selim finally informed him that he was sufficiently full.  He’d like to say he’d stuffed himself silly, but he’d never been able to say that, and now was no exception. Still, it felt good to have food inside of him again.

So he was walking behind Xhou as the servant lead him to meet with the Emperor, trying not to trip over the expensive Xingese robes he wore, or dislodge the hat the servant had insisted Selim would need to keep himself presentable.  Unfortunately, it sat atop of Selim’s head and did nothing to hide his scar.  Still, he really couldn’t bring himself to be too disgruntled with the excellent treatment. 

He finally felt like himself again, not the half-dead corpse who could relate more to a zombie than a living being that he’d been when he’d awoken earlier. 

Now he glanced around at the décor, noting the old looking, well-kept carvings and lush decorations that resembled those he’d seen in his room.  They had passed many people on their way to greet the emperor, and many of them had bowed to him in thanks.  Selim would have reveled in the swell of pride he had if he hadn’t known that the whole ordeal with the train had been his fault to begin with. 

Still, they didn’t need to know that.  Not that he knew how to explain it anyway.  Apparently, the man (Lee, who had been Xingese after all) had been the only casualty, and he was predicted to make a full recovery.  That was all Xhou would tell him, insisting that the Emperor would tell him everything else. 

Finally, they stopped in front of two extremely large doors and Xhou turned to him.  “Please follow my instructions carefully, as otherwise you may embarrass and offend the Emperor.  When we enter, bow.  Keep your head down and do not look up until he says to.”  Selim raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.  He was grateful the hat had a strap tied under his chin.  Xhou didn’t have one on his, but somehow managed to keep it from falling off.  Selim suspected pins of some sort and found himself even more grateful for the strap.  He didn’t fancy the idea of pins in his hair.  It reminded him of his mother.

“When we approach the Emperor, kneel, and keep your hands in sight and in front of you.  This will show your respect to him.  Do not speak unless spoke to, and please try to refrain from making any rude gestures or noises.”

Selim’s eyes widened.  “Do you get that often?”

The man shook his head.  “Once is too often.  That particular incident almost resulted in a war.”

Suddenly Selim felt butterflies begin to stir in his stomach.  Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.

“If you do not offend him, you will bring great honor upon your family and possibly a reward.”

“What kind of reward?” Selim asked, taken aback.  He hadn’t done anything for a reward. 

“It depends on the Emperor’s mood.”

_Oh yes,_ he thought to himself.  _How utterly reassuring._

“Now the Emperor is very busy.  This will be only a short meeting.  Once he dismisses you, back away.  Do not turn your back to him.  Do you understand?”

Selim nodded and gulped.  “Yes.”

“Excellent.  Now wait here while I announce you.”  He knocked on the door and slipped through the crack that opened afterwards, leaving a rather uncomfortable teenager in his wake.  It probably only took minutes but it felt much longer to Selim. 

Finally, Xhou backed out of the room (looking rather foolish in Selim’s opinion) and turned to him.  “Follow me, please.”

Selim took a deep breath and did as he was told, bowing and keeping his head to the ground.  Ahead, he saw the bottom of Xhou’s robes, and followed him into what had to be the largest room Selim had ever seen…and he couldn’t even look up.  He turned his head from side to side, awestruck at the sheer enormity of the place. 

They walked on for several seconds until Xhou stopped and stepped to the side and then knelt down.  Selim followed suit, putting his hands on the ground in front of him as Xhou had.  He could see the bottom of a set of stairs in front of him, but that was all he could see without looking up.

Xhou said something loudly in Xingese, although Selim did hear his name.  Apparently he’d just been announced again. 

“Xhou, you may leave,” a tenor voice from somewhere above and ahead of Selim.  It took every ounce of will to not look up.  Beside him, he saw Xhou gain his feet and begin to shuffle backwards.  “All servants present will leave as well,” the voice said, raising his otherwise monotone voice so it echoed throughout the room. 

Then, apparently, he turned his attention back to Selim.  “I will speak in your native tongue so you may understand, Selim Baker, honored guest of the Yao family.” 

Selim opened his mouth to say thank you, but caught himself just in time.  After a few seconds, the Emperor spoke again.  “You may speak.”

Relieved, Selim smiled.  “Thank you, Your Majesty,” he said.  “It is an honor to be here.”

“It is an honor to have you, distinguished guest.”

Behind him, a loud slamming of the doors signaled the servant’s leaving, and Selim felt his worry shoot up a notch.  Being left alone with a very powerful, influential man did not strike him as something he’d particularly like.

“Phew!  All these rules.  I’ll never get used to ‘em.”  Selim blinked.  The voice had gone from serious and monotone to carefree and almost whiny in a heartbeat.  “Alright, get up and let me have a look atcha!”

“Um, excuse me?” Selim asked, wondering if this were some kind of prank.  He was surprised the Emperor was that fluent in English, let alone that his personality had suddenly changed so drastically.  Somehow he felt like he shouldn’t be surprised about that aspect of this person but couldn’t place why.  He’d always seemed so serious in the pictures of him Selim had seen in school.

“Eh, all of the decorum is just to keep face,” the voice replied easily.  “Let me tell you a secret: most leaders are like that.  At least all the stuffed shirts I’ve met.  It’s all about protocol and rules.  Drives me nuts!  I don’t often get to ‘mingle with the commoners’, although I much prefer their company most of the time.”  He chuckled at his comment.

“I-I don’t understand,” Selim said, still keeping his eyes to the ground.  He could practically feel the man grinning down at him.

“Well I want to take a look at the guy who saved my subject’s life!  He’s extremely grateful, by the way.  So is his family.  You risked your life to save someone under my rule.  To show appreciation, I’m gonna reward you.”

For a moment, Selim could only blink in confused shock.  Had the Emperor of Xing just said ‘gonna’?  Then he frowned and spoke again, still without raising his head.  “With all due respect, sir,” he said, “I didn’t rescue that man to obtain a reward.”

For a moment the other man remained silent.  Then he burst out laughing.  Surprised, Selim looked up for the first time. 

Emperor Ling Yao seemed far more familiar than Selim would have thought he would.  He was a man in his early 40’s if Selim recalled correctly, and like Xhou, he had typical Asian features; slanted eyes, dark hair and pale skin.  However, nothing about this man seemed normal.  Firstly, he seemed to possess a natural charisma and charm that had nothing to do with his royal blood.  Secondly, he did not look to be a day older than 25, and his posture screamed an ease with his body that Selim hadn’t seen in most military fighters.  This man was no pushover. 

Still, something about him both set Selim’s nerves on edge, and calmed them at the same time.  He reminded Selim of Johan for a moment; someone born to high status who did their best to not have a care in the world while still looking after those around them.  It was a paradox Selim had often wondered about in his best friend, and the reminder had him smiling. 

Perhaps that’s why he seemed so familiar?  Selim could see Johan doing exactly what the Emperor was doing now; sitting on a throne in ceremonial robes and hat that Selim had always seen in the pictures of the Xingese Emperors when studying other countries while one arm clutched his stomach and the other had gone to his forehead while he laughed himself silly.

“Typical Amestrian,” the Emperor said finally as he calmed down, eyes scrunched shut while he fought the chuckles.  “So proud that they—” he opened his eyes and looked at Selim.  Immediately the light atmosphere disappeared as an expression of horrified surprise washed over his pale features. 

Then an angry realization replaced the surprise as the Emperor stood and pointed accusingly down at Selim, and he knew he’d done something horribly wrong. 

“You!” The Emperor yelled out.

Selim’s eyes went wide and his breath caught in his throat.  He felt like a trapped animal, despite being in the absurdly open room.  With the absolute anger (and was that fear?) in the emperor’s eyes, Selim suddenly found himself just hoping he could make it through the meeting alive.

Then the Emperor yelled out in Xingese and suddenly two people were at Selim’s side, hauling him to his feet as quickly as he could blink.  How did they get there?  Where had they been before?  He hadn’t seen them at all!  Of course, this all only added to the panic and confusion already present in his mind.

“Imprison him!”

“Wait!  What did I do?” Selim asked, struggling against the strong grips of the guards.  Normally he could break a person’s hold easily, but these guys seemed to have a special grip that he just couldn’t seem to slip out of.

“Don’t act innocent with me!” The Emperor thundered. 

“I’m Sorry!” Selim blurted out.  “I didn’t mean it, whatever it was!  I apologize!”  At that, Ling Yao practically froze, staring as Selim with a look of incomprehension.  They stared at each other for several seconds (although it seemed like forever to Selim) and he found himself willing to hope that a simple apology would do. 

Then the Emperor shook his head, and said something else in Xingese.  The next moment, Selim was dragged out the door, crushed hope falling into a numbness covered by a confused haze.   

They passed Xhou on the way.  Much to Selim’s annoyance, the man only shook his head in disappointment and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like ‘I warned you’. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here, a second chapter for you all. Merry Christmas!


	11. Chapter 11

Darkness everywhere.

"I'm fine," Selim said aloud, trying his best to ignore the terror-filled tone in his voice.

It closed around him, suffocating him, cutting off his air. He couldn't breathe!

"I am perfectly good." It didn't help much, but he continued to mutter anyway. "It's alright, I'm fine," Selim whispered to himself over and over again as he huddled in the center of the cell they'd thrown him into. It was little more than a windowless room, which had instantly set him on edge. Then they'd blown out the lights and shut the door before Selim could do anything about it. That had shoved him over the edge.

At first he'd completely thrown his self respectability to the wind in panic. He remembered yelling and screaming until his voice had gone raw, but no one had returned. That could have been minutes or hours before. He didn't know, and he didn't care. All he knew was that he'd been arrested for something he either hadn't done, or hadn't realized he'd done. Now he sat in a foreign prison, in a land he'd sneaked illegally into while he confronted his worst fears.

He hadn't realized he would regret his rash actions _that_ much. When he got home, he vowed he'd never leave his room again.

Trying to make the area feel as open as possible, he sat in the middle of it with one arm wrapped around his knees while his other hand hit the ground in somewhat consistent if random intervals. The movement seemed to be the only thing keeping him from throwing himself at the door again.

"It's just a little dark, it's nothing to worry about," his voice squeaked. Again, it didn't do much to reassure him. "There's nothing to be afraid of. Nothing…" He knew that wasn't true. He felt cut off, abandoned and completely powerless. He always did when he was trapped. He'd tried calling on the shadows, but nothing had responded. He'd concluded that to have a shadow, there had to be light, so his shadows wouldn't work in the dark. Briefly he wondered why strong sunlight hadn't been his enemy. In the desert, he'd been able to use the shadows freely.

Then the terror blew such rational thoughts away like it always did.

"Don't leave me," he found himself whispering suddenly. "Don't leave me here…"

No one answered. Even the voice in his head remained silent. He was almost desperate enough to wish it would speak up. Then again, that was probably why he hadn't heard from it. They weren't exactly friends. Then again, it hadn't spoken since he'd been in Xing unless he counted the dream. Maybe it couldn't? He doubted it. Or did he? Truthfully, he didn't know. With the state his mind was in, he was surprised he could think at all.

He'd come too far out of his element. He just wanted to leave; go home and back to his loving mother. Perhaps if Father would hurry Selim could…

He paused for a moment, his thought process grinding to a halt. Father? His father? Where on Earth had that come from? Then again, thinking back, that wasn't the first time he'd had that thought. His panicked brain tended to shoot out the strangest ideas. Too bad he really didn't have the presence of mind to do much more than realize that before the desperate panic set in again.

"Don't leave me alone…all alone…no one to come for me…" as if anyone would. He chuckled mirthlessly, sounding more than a little cracked even to himself. The noise seemed to break a dam of sorts, and he found himself unable to stop. His hysterical laughter grew louder and wilder, and he couldn't find the ability or will to control it. Then it broke to sobs, and he hoped with all his might that no one could see or hear him. He hated crying in front of others.

He didn't know how long he'd been like that when the door opened. Selim's head shot up at the sound, and he forced himself to his feet, ready to make a mad dash for the exit. He took off the moment he saw light, eyes fixed on that blessed change and nothing else as his feet thudded over the hard floor. He'd only taken a few steps when he collided with someone and they both fell to the ground.

"Ow, Selim!"

Selim paused, trying once again to blink his eyes into working in the sudden, if small illumination.

"Mandy?" he asked, hating how weak his voice sounded.

He stared down through the dim light towards the shadow he'd somehow missed earlier. Her voice had come from that direction, right? He could vaguely see an outline of someone—

The door shut again. He'd pondered for just a moment too long. The sudden loss of the comparative brightness caused him to snap his eyes towards the now vanished crack of light.

"NO!" he yelled, forcing himself to his feet and launching his body at the door desperately. "NO!" he shouted again when he collided with the hard material and began pounding on it, to no avail. "Don't leave me here! Let me out! Let me out now!"

It was the beginning of his captivity all over again. He just couldn't seem to stop panicking or pounding at the door.

"Selim!" he heard a voice behind him. "Selim stop!"

"I can't!" he retorted. "They'll leave me! There's no way out! I have to get out! I have to get back!"

"Back to where?" Mandy asked.

"To Father!"

That caused him to stop and he blinked, trying to force his hysterical mind to process that. It didn't work very well, but he was able to calm down somewhat.

"Father? I thought you didn't know who your father was," Mandy said slowly.

"I…I don't," Selim managed to respond.

"Then what are you talking about?" she asked, trying to speak in soothing tones.

"I don't know…" he whispered. "I don't know...I...I-I'm not exactly rational right now if you haven't noticed!" The whisper grew to a yell before he'd realized it.

Mandy sighed. "Selim, I'm here, alright? I talked the Emperor into letting me stay here with you. He also told me he won't hurt you. You're safe, alright."

He was still breathing hard, but her words did far more to calm him than he'd ever let on. Just needing someone else to be there was already a huge blow to his pride. He doubted it would ever recover from the strike of actually admitting it aloud. He felt so weak.

"H-how can I be safe?" he heard himself ask. "I'm stuck in a dungeon in a foreign kingdom in the dark! Why would they do that?! It's so dark…"

"It's not a dungeon," Mandy said, still trying to calm him down. "It's a simple holding room, and you're only here until the Emperor decides what to do with you. He will come back. Until then, I'm here, alright?"

"Can't you just use your alchemy and get us out?"

"No," Mandy replied softly. "They took all my circles and drawing implements away."

Selim cursed.

"Watch your language," the girl said sternly.

Selim turned and blinked at her, despite the fact that she couldn't see him. The comment was so…ridiculous—so normal that it almost distracted him. Almost.

"Did you really just say that?" he asked incredulously.

"No," she responded dryly, "it was the tooth fairy who also happens to be in here. Her house is in the corner."

Selim paused again, finally beginning to feel himself calm down ever so slightly. He couldn't help the feeble chuckle that escaped him. "Sarcasm is a new thing for you. Besides, you're wrong," he heard himself say. "If she lived here, she'd be glowing. We'd have some light."

It was a pathetic attempt at a joke. So pathetic that he only managed to remind himself of the smothering blackness.

"What did I do?" he heard himself whisper again. "What did I do to deserve this?"

Mandy snorted. "You know, I was just about to ask you the same thing."

"I don't know!" Selim shouted. "I have no idea what I did!"

"Calm down," she said. "And why don't you start at the beginning."

He contemplated her request for a moment before nodding. He knew she couldn't see him, but it comforted him a little when he responded as if she could. "Alright."

xXx

Discussing his day with Mandy helped. By the time he finished, he'd gone from 'frantically hyperventilating' to 'extremely jumpy'. It was an improvement neither one of them dared to either acknowledge or complain about.

"So you looked up without him asking?" Mandy clarified. "Because that's the only thing I can think of."

Selim shook his head. "No. He asked me to stand up. He seemed so friendly until he looked at me."

"Hmm," she responded thoughtfully.

"You're drawing a blank too, aren't you?" he muttered.

"Maybe you remind him of someone?"

Selim snorted. "Who? And why would that give him a reason to imprison me?" He didn't sound bitter. He didn't.

He heard Mandy shift and assumed she'd shrugged. "Don't know."

They sat in silence for several seconds, contemplating.

Finally, Selim spoke up. "I'm sorry," he said softly.

"Sorry for what?" Mandy asked.

"Sorry I dragged you here. I should have listened to you."

She snorted. "Yeah, you should have." Then she sighed. "But you didn't, and you had your reasons."

"Doesn't erase the fact that I was stupid enough to come here to begin with."

"Amen to that," she muttered, then her voice rose a little. "Why did you do that? It bothered me at the time—that you wouldn't listen to me at all. Just acting like that isn't like you. What happened?"

It was his turn to snort. "How do you know what I'm like? You've known me for all of what, two days? Three?"

"Six," she admitted. "If it's after midnight here. It's just, you always seem like you think things through. You're very methodical except when you're panicking."

He didn't want to admit how her words seemed to shame him. "I guess," he muttered.

"So what happened to make you suddenly traipse about the country side and sneak illegally into countries?"

"I don't really know," he muttered, tapping his hand on the floor again, welcoming the slight comfort it brought. He couldn't exactly tell her about the strange voice in his head that wanted him to kill people or looked down on them as inferior beings. He could, however, tell her why he'd decided not to go back to Central. "I guess I was sick of waiting for answers to come to me. I think I knew I'd have to go looking for them if I wanted to find them."

"You know, you still haven't told me what kind of answers you're looking for," she said softly.

He sighed. May as well. "When Clemin tried to kill my friend and me, he called me a monster. He said I was a homunculus named Selim Bradley."

He practically heard her raise her eyebrow. "And you didn't think that maybe it was just because Clemin's crazy and you looked like the kid?"

"Of course I did," he scoffed. "But something about his words…they felt true."

"Selim, you can't really believe you're some sort of artificial being, can you?"

"I don't know," he responded honestly. "I didn't want to think so, but it just wouldn't leave me alone. I looked everywhere, spent months researching, wrote down everything I could about my abnormalities…"

"Abnormalities?"

Selim rolled his eyes and began counting them on his fingers. "I can control shadows. That's the biggest one."

"Point," she conceded.

"I don't know who my birth parents were, and my adopted mother avoids the subject like the plague, which I found rather suspicious." He paused, but Mandy didn't comment, so he continued. "I've always been athletically fit. You pointed out that it's strange because I don't actively try to be. I've always been really strong compared to other people my age. Plus I could probably eat the entire country of Amestris out of their back up food supply in a month if I really tried to."

Mandy giggled. "That's not too abnormal."

Selim smiled in spite of himself. It only lasted for a moment before he was back to being serious. "I've always felt different from everyone around me. I can't explain it, but I just knew I was. I couldn't ever tell my mother because she'd get so sad if I tried, so I started pretending I was normal. I tried to fit in, I really did. I just never…could."

"You'd be surprised," Mandy said quietly. "I felt the exact same way growing up."

"You're an alchemist," Selim pointed out. "Child alchemists aren't exactly normal. At least you had a reason."

"But it's not uncommon either," the dark-haired girl protested. "Besides, I felt like that long before I started practicing alchemy. I don't know why I always felt different. I just did. Sound familiar?"

The small smile returned, and truthfully, Selim found himself enjoying the fact that he was even able to do so at all.

"You know, I actually started believing my father was a homunculus," he admitted. "When I finally found a book that explained them, I went through and checked off what traits did and didn't fit me. If I count the ability to control shadows, I have about half of them."

"Oh? Can I hear them?"

He shrugged his shoulders as if to say 'why not?' forgetting once again that she couldn't really see him. "Homunculi are artificially created humans, so they're inherently different simply because they're unnatural. Every homunculus has a philosopher's stone at their heart. I don't know if that means it is their heart or not."

"I doubt you have one," Mandy said, snickering. "They don't exist."

"One way or the other, I'm not about to tear my chest open to find out."

"Sounds smart to me."

He shot her a half smile and continued. "The homunculi are sorted into two categories: greater and lesser. The lesser homunculi are ravenous and don't let anything stop them. Their entire existence revolves around feeding. Now I know I'm a tad on the gluttonous side, but not to that extent, so it would make more sense that if I was one, I would be one of the second category; greater homunculi. They have their own personalities and powers."

"Like your shadows," the older girl said softly.

"Exactly," Selim replied, voice equally as soft. "Anyway, every homunculus has a mark—"

"Like the one on your forehead?"

"No, it's different," he responded with a wave of his hand. "I've looked everywhere, and no I don't have one."

"Good enough for me."

He snorted. "They're supposedly very difficult to kill. That's another one I'm not about to test." She didn't respond so he went on. "Plus if a greater homunculus is transmuted, it would make sense that they're more or less indentured to the person who formed them. I'm assuming that would have a limit if each homunculus has its own personality, but I can assure you I have never been overly loyal to…" he faded off, memories of his dreams where he knelt before the cold, blond man and how he desperately wanted to help and serve that man in those dreams.

"Selim?" Mandy's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Yeah, never been subservient to anyone," he forced. "At least not that I can remember."

"So, homunculi are difficult to kill, fueled by a mythical wonder stone that doesn't exist, subservient to the person who created them, have special powers, and are difficult to kill."

"Don't forget the markings," Selim confirmed. "They also tend to have more stamina and strength than a human and think of humans as lesser…beings."

A sudden stab of fear jolted through his heart as he recalled the words of the new voice in his head. He gulped.

Mandy didn't notice. "Okay so that's three of what, eight traits?"

"Yeah. Well there are a few more."

"Like what?"

He shook the previous train of thought from his head and continued. "Most homunculi don't grow and change like humans do. They stay the same age for their entire existence. Some do have that ability, but they usually start out as humans to begin with."

"How does that work?" Mandy asked. "How can they be artificial humans if they started off as humans to begin with?"

Selim shrugged. "No clue. The book didn't go into an explanation."

"Oh. So you think that because you have some traits of a homunculus that your father might have been a homunculus."

"Yeah," Selim nodded. "It would explain everything."

"It would," Mandy conceded, but she didn't sound too sure. After a few moments, she finally spoke up again. "Do you really think the Elrics could answer your questions?"

"Well, everything I just told you I read from a book the Elrics published. It sounds like they've run across a homunculus or two, and so they might be able to answer my specific questions. They may not be able to tell me conclusively, but any information they have could help to clear some things up."

They sat there for several seconds, contemplating their discussion while Selim continued to absently tap the floor.

"I didn't know you knew Morse Code," Mandy said suddenly.

Selim paused, blinking in her direction. "What?"

"You just gave a latitude and longitude in Morse Code."

"I did?" Selim asked, blinking down at the hand he couldn't see.

"You didn't realize it?"

"No," the dark-haired boy replied. "I…didn't. What were the coordinates?"

"About half-way between Central and the Eastern Province boarder, I would think. I'm not all that good with latitude and longitude."

"Oh," Selim muttered. Then a thought occurred to him. "How do you know Morse Code?"

"My father taught me."

"I see." That reminded him. "Hey, when I woke up earlier you were gone. I asked the servant who brought me food where you were and he said you'd gone to use the telephone. Who did you call?"

"He said that?" Mandy asked, sounding suddenly nervous.

Selim leaned back against the wall behind him. "Yes, he did."

She didn't respond for several seconds. When she did, it didn't escape Selim's notice that she was talking much more slowly than she normally did. "I contacted a friend, calling in some favors to get us back to Central once we decided to head back to Amestris."

"Oh." She was hiding something from him. The realization hurt. What could she possibly be hiding? Did she look at him differently now that he'd told her his theory concerning his father? He hoped not, but his sinking heart had already figured otherwise. "Did you get ahold of them?"

"Yes," she said. "They'll help if we can get to Amestris ourselves. I was planning on meeting them on the way there."

"Someone you met in your travels?" Selim muttered, hoping he didn't sound too upset.

"You could say that."

They sat in an awkward silence for quite a while after that, neither one wanting to break the quiet atmosphere. Of course, the lack of sound and distraction only served to fuel Selim's fear. He scooted away from the wall and wrapped his arms around his knees again, rocking back and forth.

Fortunately, before he could get to a full-blown panic attack again, the door opened a third time, allowing a great deal of light into the room.

Looking up, Selim blinked at the brightness, but managed to make out the form of the Emperor and at least two body guards. The door shut, leaving them with just a candle in one of the guards' hands, but Selim almost wanted to kiss the thing. Any light was better than none.

The Emperor no longer looked angry or surprised, but he did still seem confused. His stony expression masked it well though. He glanced at Mandy once but then completely ignored her, turning to Selim instead.

"How did you leave Amestris?" he asked bluntly.

Selim hated the tone in Emperor Yao's voice, and something inside of him refused to allow him show his fear in front of the man. He forced an expression of neutrality onto his face and gazed up defiantly. "By train."

Emperor Yao frowned. "How were you able to?" the Xingese man said as if to clarify.

"Uh," Selim wasn't sure how to answer. He didn't exactly want to bring up the fact that he didn't have travel papers. "Why shouldn't I be able to?"

"Because Amestris is your container," the Emperor said, unable to mask the barest hint of frustration in his voice. "You shouldn't have the ability to leave."

"Wait," Selim replied, surprised, "The government is containing me? And _you_ knew about it?" Well that didn't bode well. If the government had something to do with it, then they believed Selim was a threat. He didn't particularly care for the connotation that went along with that thought.

"That's not what I mean and you know it!" Emperor Yao growled.

"No I don't!" the Amestrian boy responded angrily. "You want to know how I left? I got on a train. That's it."

The Emperor seemed to contemplate this for several seconds. Then his expression hardened. "So you got around it somehow. Fine. Then how did you mask your presence?"

"Presence?" Selim asked, brow furrowed. "I didn't know I had a presence to mask."

Emperor Yao ignored him. "You feel so similar to everyone else! How did you do that?! Even I couldn't do that!"

"How can anyone 'feel' different? That makes no sense," Selim retorted, trying not to let his anger and frustration build up. He was half tempted to just knock all these guys out with his shadows and make a run for it. Somehow, though, he thought that probably wouldn't end well.

"I didn't think your ego could handle you playing dumb," the Xingese leader muttered. "It's pathetic. Have you sunken so low?"

His words hurt more than they should have. Selim not only realized his intellect—something he had always taken pride in—had been insulted, but also that the insinuation was worse if only because Selim wasn't playing at anything. It bothered him on such a deep level, and he couldn't figure out why. It felt as if a friend or close relative had somehow betrayed him and he couldn't help but sense that the Emperor had known exactly where to hit.

"Pathetic?" he responded, voice getting dangerously soft. "This coming from a man who gets a rise out of verbally sparring with fifteen-year-olds? A man who can't seem to decide how he wants to act at any given moment? Who says one thing and does another all while lying through his teeth? Do your subjects not pay you enough attention that you have to get your fix from other countries' people?"

One of the guards started yelling out in Xingese and stepped forward as if to strike Selim, but Emperor Yao held out his hand. The bodyguard froze, then stepped back as he muttered something that sounded like an apology.

Selim and Yao both ignored him as they continued to glare at each other in silence. After a while, the Emperor spoke again. "Why did you attack the train you were riding then?"

All of Selim's defiance practically vanished as his intestines plunged to hit the floor.

"H-how…no. I didn't attack it!" Well, he hadn't meant to.

The Emperor scoffed. "'Giant, black monsters of indefinable shape'? Did you really think I wouldn't put that together?"

His stomach decided it hadn't gone low enough and started digging, making him nauseous. "How do you know about that? I haven't told anyone but Mandy…" Then he put two and two together. It was so simple, why hadn't he seen it before?

"You knew my father."

The Emperor snorted. "Of course I did."

Selim licked his lips. "Who was he?"

The question seemed to take the other man back for a moment as he grew very still, watching the teen before him warily.

"Please," Selim continued. "Please tell me!"

"You don't remember?"

The teenager swallowed his annoyance, but was unable to do so with the anticipation. "How could I? My adoptive mother told me my parents died when I was a baby."

Realization and shock washed over the Xingese leader's face. For a moment, everyone in the room froze. Then the Emperor brought a hand up to his forehead and stared blankly ahead, struggling to figure something out. He stood like that for several seconds, not seeming to really see anything as he muttered unintelligibly under his breath.

"Then they…" The Emperor said a little louder as he glanced between Selim and Mandy for several moments. Then he let out a sigh. "I'm sending you back to Amestris."

"What?" Selim asked. "Wait! What about my parents! I've been looking for these answers for months! Please! You have to tell me!"

But Emperor Yao just shook his head. "I can't. It isn't my place to say."

"Not your place?!" Selim was starting to get angry again. "Then exactly whose place is it? Because everyone seems intent on hiding the truth from me!"

"Have you ever considered that there's a reason for that?" Ling asked softly.

The question seemed so unlike the man that Selim felt his anger settle ever so slightly despite himself. "Of course I have. I know it could be hard to accept, and I know it will probably mark me as different for the rest of my existence…but how can I go through life living a lie? Pretending to be something I'm not?"

The Emperor watched Selim for several seconds, as if he couldn't make up his mind about something. Then he shook his head. "I should kill you. But you risked your life to save my subject's. For that, I will grant you safe passage back to Amestris." Selim felt his spirit fall lower and lower with every word. "Just know this; if I ever catch you in my country again, I will not show such mercy."

With that, the Emperor turned to leave, robes swinging stiffly around him as he moved.

"Wait," Selim called. Emperor Yao paused at the door and glanced back at the teenager. "My father…was he a homunculus?"

That same contemplative expression fell over the older man's features again. Without speaking, he turned to go, and Selim grit his teeth in frustration. Then, just before the Emperor moved to step into the hallway beyond, he spoke.

"Yes. He was."

Selim didn't know exactly what to think at first. He felt both excited that he'd _finally_ received a straight answer that he somehow knew he could trust, but sad that what he'd feared had been the truth.

"Thank you," he said, voice barely above a whisper.

"You should know," Yao said, "I was going to simply kill you, or leave you here to rot." Selim felt fear clutch at his heart at the Emperor's words. "It was your apology before that caused me to consider even keeping you alive. You've shown that you can put your pride aside if necessary. I didn't think that would be possible for you." He glanced back at Selim once more. "If you ever lose that trait…you will become the monster your father was."

With that, he left, bodyguards following after him. The door clanged shut, and the room fell into darkness once again.

"H-hey!" Selim called fearfully. "Hey! Let us out! You said you'd let us go!"

"Selim," Mandy said quietly. "Give them a few minutes. You can handle that, right? With me here?"

No. No he couldn't. But, in light of everything he'd just heard, he could try. "Alright," he managed to say, forcing himself to sit down. Instinctively, his body returned to his previous position, with one arm wrapped around his knees while the other one struck the floor repeatedly.

Mandy didn't speak again. After a few moments, he heard her walk over to him and sit down somewhere nearby. Then he felt her hand wrap around his, stopping the tapping on the floor.

At first he wanted to tell her to back off, but after a moment's contemplation, he realized that her gesture seemed to give him much more strength than pounding the floor ever could.

They sat like that until the guards came.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone pointed out to me that in canon, Pride actually spelled out a message, but I decided to keep the 'latitude and longitude' thing because I liked it better. ^^;


	12. Chapter 12

"I think I'll move out here when I finish school," Selim said dully as he stared out the train window at the familiar, golden desert stretching away into the horizon.

In the seat across from him, Mandy glanced up, surprised. "Finally stopped moping?" she asked dryly, raising one eyebrow at him. Selim frowned, but couldn't find the motivation to even look over at her. He'd been silent since the guards had come to escort them to the train that would take them back to Amestris. They'd been traveling since before morning, and he'd only been able to really relax after the sun had risen.

That had been hours ago and his lingering unease had long since morphed into a tense boredom, but he couldn't bring himself to sleep. Bored or not, he still felt restless and on edge for a reason he couldn't place, and he hated it.

Bringing his thoughts back to the matter at hand, he sighed and conceded his companion's point. Maybe he was moping, but he did happen to have a pretty good reason. It didn't help that his fears had been confirmed—that his father had been a monster. At least he'd gotten the answer he'd gone searching for (albeit from the most unlikely place imaginable, not that he was complaining too much about that).

Sinking down a little further into his seat, he found his thoughts straying back to his mother. Perhaps she'd tell him the truth now; tell him everything about his parents and his heritage. After all, he still had questions. If his father had been a homunculus, what about his mother? And what exactly did that make him?

A condescending chuckle trickled through the back of his mind. Selim ignored it, but the realization that the voice was gaining strength again did nothing to help calm his unease. Of course, there wasn't a whole lot he could do about it either. The voice had to be something he inherited from his father, just like the ability to manipulate shadows. It made sense…sort of.

"Hey…" He heard Mandy speak up again, breaking through his thoughts. "Are you okay? I mean, you're alright now that we're not in that cell, right?"

"For the last time, I'm fine," Selim responded, snapping a little more than he'd meant to.

"Well excuse me for caring," Mandy muttered, going back to her journal. "All you did before was nod like some sort of zombie whenever I asked a question. What was I supposed to think?"

"That I can handle myself," the other teen muttered.

Mandy paused and raised her gaze to him solemnly. "You know, there's no shame in needing help, and especially not in asking for it."

Selim scoffed. "Then why do I hate myself every time I have to?"

"Because you're a very proud person."

Yeah, that fell under the category of 'last thing he wanted to hear'. "Thanks a lot."

"It's not necessarily a bad thing," she continued, flipping a page in the diary over and focusing on it again. "Not necessarily a good thing either. It just…is."

"Isn't pride one of the worst sins or something?" Selim murmured, wondering how she could hear him over the clacking of the train. At least this time he wasn't stuck in some freezing or over-heated baggage car. It suddenly occurred to him that luggage car or not, he'd been confined to one train or another for most of the last week. The realization suddenly made the train's interior feel smaller, and he sunk even lower into his seat.

Mandy didn't notice, still focusing on her writing. She did, however, answer his question. "I guess so. I've heard of the seven deadly sins: Pride, wrath, um…sloth, envy, lust…uh…I forget the other two."

"Gluttony and greed," Selim finished for her, almost without thinking.

She paused for a moment, but seemed to dismiss whatever had come to her mind with a shrug. "Right. Thing is, everyone's guilty of one those at some time in their life. Having a tendency towards one doesn't necessarily make you a horrible person, but only as long as you don't let it rule your life. You don't. You're a proud person, yet you ask for help." She looked up as a genuine smile crossed her face. "In my opinion that makes you strong."

_Tell that to the creepy voice in my head,_ Selim thought and turned to gaze back out the window. He'd sunk low enough in his seat the he could barely see over the window's edge, but he didn't move.

"I don't feel strong."

"Very few people who are truly strong feel it."

It was his turn to raise an eyebrow at her. "That sounded awfully deep for you."

She shrugged and smiled, catching his somewhat lighter tone. "It was something my mother used to say. One of the few things I remember about her."

He appreciated the sentiment but hated the sadness he heard in her voice. He didn't want his own peace of mind to come at someone else's expense. Besides, he disagreed. How could anyone be strong if they didn't feel it?

Stifling a groan, he brought his hands up to massage the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache beginning to build, which didn't help his mood. After a moment, he went to drag his hand through his hair only to realize he didn't have much. This time he managed a scowl and glanced over at Mandy again.

"Why did they have to cut my hair?"

"Oh yeah," she said, brightening. Selim wanted to breathe a sigh of relief. Mandy may be annoying, but he preferred her exuberance over her sadness. Both of them didn't have to wallow in despair. "They did that because you wouldn't wake up when they came to get us in the desert. The rescue team wanted to check for head injuries, and it was all I could do to keep them from completely shaving your head bald, although that would have been entertaining." She snickered.

Selim's frown only deepened, but otherwise he ignored the comment.

"Apparently," Mandy continued, "they didn't find anything but your tattoo." At that, she rolled her eyes. "Honestly, who gets a tattoo under their hair? Some sort of rebellious phase that you wanted to hide from your mother?"

Selim's breath caught in his throat. "Tattoo?" he asked quietly.

"Well yeah," she said. "You have a little dragon flying in a circle. There's something else inside of it, but it's hard to see with what's left of your hair in the way. I think it's a star of some sort. Am I right?"

The sick feeling gained intensity to a point of almost being painful. "Mandy…I've never gotten a tattoo."

She raised her eyebrow skeptically. "Well you have one."

Selim paused for a moment before carefully asking his next question. "Do you have a mirror?"

Mandy blinked. "Yeah, why?"

"I'd like to see it."

"Seriously? Well I only have one. I doubt that will be of much use. It's right on the top of your head." She tapped the crown of her head with a finger to illustrate her point.

Selim glanced down the aisle. "There's a bathroom on the train."

Mandy cocked her head, then shrugged. "Alright. Let me find it first." She began to search through her many pockets while trying to locate the object. Honestly, Selim didn't realize so many could be on one coat. It took her a moment to find the mirror, and when she did, she handed it over to him without saying anything else before going back to her notebook.

"Thanks," Selim said as he stood up. She waved her hand in dismissal. "Bathroom," he muttered to the guards. One of them followed him silently, stopping outside the door as he walked in and slid it shut behind him.

Grunge and rust had built from years of use around the mirror's edge, making the middle the only place clean enough to view anything clearly. Selim couldn't help but be a little disgusted. At least the rest of the bathroom looked clean.

Taking a deep breath, he raised the mirror in his hand and began to scan the top of his head for that tattoo. It took him a moment, but after some searching, he managed to find it. He couldn't see all of it from the angle he had the mirror at, but he could tell what it was immediately.

An oroboros; a serpent eating its tail.

The possibility had always been there—had always existed—but he hadn't really believed it. After all, the knowledge brought up more questions than answers. Problem was, now he knew the truth.

Clemin had been right.

Selim was a homunculus.

xXx

He didn't really know what to do with the knowledge of his true nature. He sat where he'd practically collapsed on the toilet seat in the bathroom for almost half an hour before he could gather his wits enough to return to Mandy.

He walked to the front of the car in a daze, Xingese guard in tow. His mind wouldn't stop racing madly despite the still growing pain that throbbed dully through his head. So he was a homunculus, just like his father. Did that mean his mother was a homunculus too? Or had he been created the same as his 'father'? Was he actually acting on an alchemist's behalf? Could he do that and not know it? How had he come into being? Did his mother (his adopted mother) know? Probably. That would definitely explain why she hadn't told him anything before; why she had insisted he drop it. But still…

The questions didn't stop, continuing to dash through his mind. Had he originally been human because he could change and grow? Or did he get that from his biological mother? Did that mean he really did have a philosopher's stone somewhere in his body? He got hurt and healed just like everyone else, but was he harder to kill? Why didn't everything fit?

Now he felt anxious—almost eager—to return home, sniper or not. He had to ask his mother, demand to know all the answers. He hoped she'd tell him, now that he knew, but he had his doubts. Would she answer his questions?

On top of that, how was he supposed to act now? He was an artificial being. Did that make him a monster? He hoped not. He didn't feel like a monster. He didn't really feel any different at all. Then again, did murderers and psychotic killers feel different from the normal, common masses?

_Finally figured it out, have you?_

Selim started and froze in the middle of the train's aisle, eyes wide in horror. After a moment, he allowed himself to take a deep, calming breath and continued to his seat. So the voice had returned. He'd almost hoped that it had been gone permanently.

"What, did you fall in?" Mandy snickered at her own joke as he approached her. "You were gone a pretty long time."

He ignored her comment, mind on other things as he handed the mirror back to her. "Thanks," he said.

"No problem," she returned with a smile and shoved the mirror back into one of her pockets. "Guess it took you a while to find it."

"Yeah," Selim nodded dully.

"Do you remember where you got it now?"

"No," Selim muttered. "It's something I've had my whole life."

"Oh?"

"Something my father gave me," he added.

Mandy's eyes widened, all joking aside. "Really?"

"Apparently."

She wanted to ask more questions, he could tell, but she thankfully caught that he didn't want to talk about it, and for once respected that with change of subject. "Hey, we just passed the border of Amestris. We'll be coming up on our first stop soon. It's an Ishvalan trading town."

Selim frowned, thinking back to their trip out of the country, grateful for the distraction. "I don't remember stopping there before."

Mandy shrugged. "Neither do I. Maybe they didn't stop on their way to Xing, it's not a very big place yet. We're only going to stop to refuel now and pick up a few people."

"Oh."

"And guess who I found in the other car," her grin turned into a haughty smirk.

Selim turned his head to focus on her. "Who?"

"Two people who didn't have their papers on them."

He blinked. "Marlin and Bonnie?"

"Yup. They're not happy about it either."

"Don't blame them."

"At least they're not being turned over to the police," Mandy pointed out.

"Good," Selim said, mildly surprised to find that he meant it.

Apparently Mandy caught it too. "You do remember that they're the ones that kidnapped you, right? They started this whole trip."

Selim felt the anger and annoyance behind her sentence, but couldn't catch onto it himself. In his opinion they'd been caught up in this whole thing just as badly as he had. They weren't really evil people as far as he'd seen, so he couldn't really blame them. No, in his mind Clemin held all the responsibility.

He allowed a small, vindictive smile to grace his lips as he thought of what he wanted to do to the man when he found him.

"Okay, that's a little creepy," Mandy's comment had him looking blankly back at her.

"Huh?"

"You looked like you were about to kill someone."

The smile returned, much stronger. "Kill? I'm not going to be that nice."

She blinked at him, her expression suddenly serious. "No, seriously. Don't do that. It really looks creepy. Not cute at all."

That last sentence sounded a bit forced, and brought another realization to Selim's acknowledgement: Mandy hadn't called him 'sweetie' or 'cutie' or anything like that since they'd gotten to Xing. Actually, now that he thought about it, he couldn't remember her doing so since they'd hitched a ride on the train. Despite her words about enjoying trying to annoy him, he wondered if she'd taken his confession about her abrasive personality to heart.

Just about then, the train lurched slightly as it began to slow down. So they'd reached the trading town? He wondered if it had a name.

"So," Selim said, face expressionless again as he turned to look out at the landscape. In his absence the sand had grown rockier and gained some sparse vegetation. "These guys aren't going to let us off until East City, right?" he thumbed in the general direction of the body guards.

Mandy fidgeted. "Uh, about that. You know those friends I called back in Xing? Well, the Emperor agreed to let me meet them at the trading post. They'll be waiting for us. This train may head back from there or we could be taking it all the way to East City. I don't know."

"Whatever," Selim muttered. "Friends of your fathers?" he asked, not really caring or concentrating on the question. It took him a moment to realize he'd asked a similar question before, when he'd been trapped in the dark room. He shuddered at the memory and focused on his companion's answer as a distraction.

"Not really," Mandy muttered. "Look, there's something I have to tell you before we get there."

He sighed and turned to look at her. "What is it?"

"Well," she started, but hesitated as if she didn't quite know what to say next.

Selim opened his mouth to tell her to spit it out (he wasn't in the mood to be patient, what with his recent discoveries and headache now in full force) when the door at the far end of the cabin burst open and two Xingese men came rushing in.

The Xingese guards already in the car protested in their own language. One of the men yelled out a hurried conversation before nodding to his fellow guard and retreating the way they'd come, leaving the two guards who had been sitting across the aisle from Mandy and Selim blinking after them.

"What's going on?" Mandy asked worriedly.

"Other prisoners make trouble," one of them said in a heavy accent.

"Those two," the dark-haired girl growled, standing up. Cautiously, Selim followed her lead. He didn't really want to be left alone to his thoughts at the moment. He'd had enough thinking about his current…circumstances. "Let me see what I can do," she muttered.

"No, you stay," the guard said as he stood, trying to block her path.

"Oh for—look, we're not really prisoners, and we know those people. We can help."

The man shook his head. "You stay."

Mandy glared at him for several seconds before turning back to her seat and practically collapsed onto it with a huff. "Fine. You guys have fun trying to contain those two."

Selim had to admit she had a point. He doubted anyone could hold Bonnie and Marlin for long if the two bounty hunters didn't want to be held. Actually, now that he thought about it, both Selim and Mandy had the power to escape if they wanted to as well.

He filed that thought away for possible later use and sank back onto his own cushioned bench and focused on Mandy again.

"So, you were—"

Just then the door slammed open. Much to the surprise of everyone in the car, Marlin came storming through.

"Marlin?" Selim asked. "What's wrong?"

The large man flashed a smile at Selim before turning to the two guards, both of whom stood quickly and fell into defensive stances.

"We don't want any trouble," he said calmly, his voice dead serious. "We just want off before the station."

"Why?" Mandy asked.

Marlin shrugged. "Don't want to be turned in."

Mandy raised one eyebrow. "Wait, are you saying you actually have warrants out for your arrest?"

The older man shrugged. "Don't know and we're not about to stick around and find out." With that, he yelled over his shoulder. "You coming, Bonnie?"

"Yes," a voice from behind him answered. Not seconds later, the woman in question slipped through the door. She glanced over at Selim and Mandy for a moment and nodded politely, but that was the extent of her friendliness.

"Ready when you are," she said to the large man. He nodded and tromped to the back. The two guards watched them go warily but did nothing to stop them otherwise.

"Are you just going to let them walk away?" Mandy asked them curiously.

"Not Xing here. They leave. We watch you, not them," the second guard said, speaking for the first time.

"In other words, you don't care," Selim clarified wryly.

The first guard shrugged and the second remained silent. The door slid shut after the two bounty hunters and Selim had to admit, he felt sorry to see them go.

"I'll be right back," he told Mandy as he stood up and turned to follow them.

Guard number one protested in Xingese before Mandy could say anything, but Selim ignored him. He managed to reach the door and yank it open before the man could grab him. Not caring whether the guy would follow him or not, Selim leapt over the coupling and rushed into the next empty car just in time to see Marlin wrench open the door on the opposite side.

"Hey," he called out. They paused and turned toward him. "I'm sorry it didn't work out. At Xing, I mean. And I wanted to say thanks…" a sharp pang shot through his forehead, causing him to twitch slightly, but he continued anyway. "Thanks for letting me tag along, and for the warning about the sniper."

Marlin grinned. "You're alright, kid. Good luck to you."

Bonnie also flashed a smile at him. He hadn't seen her do that since the first time he'd met her just after he'd been kidnapped. Had that really only been a week before?

"The same to you," he responded with a smile of his own. "Be careful."

Marlin snorted, still smiling as he turned around and raised his hand in farewell. "When aren't we?"

Selim chuckled and shook his head fondly then winced at the pain that shot through it again. He wasn't about to acknowledge their question with an answer. Then they closed the door. Selim sighed and glanced outside only to realize the train was going slowly enough that they'd probably already hopped off and had begun to sneak into the town somehow. He stood there for a moment, just watching the sagebrush crawl by. It didn't take long for the locomotive to finally come to a complete stop.

He turned towards his rather unhappy guard, who had shut both doors in his wake, and cocked his head. "Alright, I'm coming," Selim said as he walked past him and began to lead their short trek back to the front of the next car; except, when he opened the door, expecting to see Mandy and the second guard, no one was there.

"Where did they go?" Selim asked his guard who shrugged.

The door on the opposite side of the compartment had been left open ever so slightly, so Selim shrugged and walked down the still aisle. He opened the door and stepped over the coupling to the second almost-closed door, but paused at the voice he heard inside.

Even at rest trains weren't exactly the quietest invention, but after listening to the clacking and rumbling of full speed for the last several hours, Selim could easily pick out words on the other side. He paused, unable to help himself from listening.

"…so sir. He seems to be able to control shadows somewhat, but nothing else." Selim blinked. That was Mandy. What was she doing, telling someone about his powers? He felt a stab of betrayal accompanied by another sharp throb in his head. It was getting hard to think through the pain. Stupid headache. He rarely got them at all. The last few days must have been harder on him than he'd realized.

"Are you sure, Major?" A second, much deeper but strangely familiar voice answered. "We have to be absolutely positive." Major? Mandy was a major? State alchemists automatically had a rank of major. He blinked, shocked. Mandy was a state alchemist? How could he have missed that?

_You're pathetic,_ the voice in his head cackled in answer to his question. Selim ignored it, continuing to focus on the conversation.

"He hasn't mentioned anything else, sir. I've been watching for signs. He doesn't know. Actually, he believes his father was a homunculus."

That almost stopped Selim's heart. She'd known. She'd known about him. For a moment his train of thought seemed to freeze on that realization. She was a state alchemist, and she'd known about his true nature. One of the few people he'd bothered to put his trust in and she'd been omitting the truth about—if not outright lying to—him the whole time. A deep anger began to swirl at the back of his mind, accompanied by a gleeful laugh. He didn't care.

A prod at his back from the Xingese guard broke through his thoughts. The man obviously wanted Selim to keep moving, but he wasn't about to head into the car now. It only took a thought (and a momentary stabbing pain from his scar) to call his shadow and restrain the foreigner before he could so much as take a breath to yell for help.

"His father was a homunculus," the man's voice said.

"And his mother?" Mandy asked.

"He didn't have a mother. Homunculi don't work like that."

A pause as a third voice called out. "This one is alive too, sir! It seems there were no casualties."

"Good," the first unknown voice replied. "And find out who those two were. If they were able to take out this many Xingese guards, they're not people to be taken lightly."

"Sir!"

"So…," he heard Mandy say softly, "you're not going to kill him?"

Selim's jaw dropped. There had been at least the possibility of the government (if Mandy was indeed working for the military) killing him and his supposed 'friend' hadn't even deigned to give him a warning? With friends like that, who needed enemies?

_We don't need anyone._

"If what you say is true, then no," the man replied.

Another pause fell over them, and then a third unknown voice broke it. "We are ready to head back to East City on your command, sir!"

Their stop had been too fast to refuel. Yet another lie adding to the icy anger twisting in his gut. It took him a moment to recognize and acknowledge that his temper seemed different this time—deeper somehow. Despite this, he felt so calm, even with the nigh-unto-migraine on top of everything else. This fury was cold and calculating, and would probably scare him more than his normal smoldering temper at any other time. He'd gone beyond caring though, stuck somewhere in the betrayal and shock that had come with the overheard conversation.

_Do you see now?_ The voice asked Selim. _Do you understand why we can never trust humans?_

"Where is he?" the second voice asked before Selim could respond.

"With a Xingese guard in another car, sir."

"Well, let's go find him, shall we?"

"Sir!"

Selim glanced at the man still tied up in his shadows and made a split second decision. He didn't want them to know he'd been eavesdropping. He'd have more cards to play that way. Jumping back through the open door behind him (vaguely wondering why the guard hadn't bothered to close it this time), he threw himself on the seat. His shadows carried the man just behind him, still struggling to move and yell out.

Selim couldn't have that.

With a twitch and another grimace at the pain that went with it, he called the shadow to hit the man in the back of the head, hard. He crumpled in the center of the aisle as the shadows vanished. Selim went to kneel down next to him just as the door opened revealing Mandy followed by a man dressed in full military uniform and the second Xingese guard.

Selim knew the stranger instantly, despite the fact that they'd never met: Major General Roy Mustang; the Flame Alchemist. Even studying about him as a child in school, Selim had never cared for the man. Something about the military leader and his slightly filmy eyes had always rubbed him wrong, and he could never figure out why. Now, as those eyes found him, Selim's distaste for the man blossomed almost instantly, morphing from a passive dislike into an utter _loathing_.

It took him a moment to realize just what he was feeling. It confused him because he'd seemed to reach a whole new level of emotion for only the smallest reasons. Yes he'd overheard Mandy and this man discussing his very existence, but most of his anger was directed at his supposed friend, not Mustang. It didn't make sense. He simply _hated_ this man, for no reason.

The voice in his head didn't seem to like him any better as it remained silent, but Selim could feel the seething hatred pouring from the other entity. Maybe that was why Selim suddenly despised him so much?

"Selim, what happened?" Mandy asked worriedly, rushing over to his side, focusing on the unconscious guard while the second guard leapt over the seats to kneel next to the man. He shot an accusing glance at Selim, but didn't say anything.

Meanwhile, Selim focused on Mandy's question. He was actually surprised he could think up a lie as quickly as he did. "Marlin. I guess he thought this guy was going to try to stop him after all. I'm pretty sure he just knocked him out, though."

"And you dragged him back here?" Mandy asked, checking the man over. She looked relieved when she found his vital signs.

Selim shrugged. "Tried to."

"Why didn't he attack you too?" Mustang asked in a calm voice. Selim could see through it somehow. He felt like he was being interrogated by those seemingly dull eyes that hid an otherwise sharp intellect.

"I wasn't the one dodging around the cabin yelling at the top of my lungs in another language," Selim responded dryly, and probably a little more coldly than he'd originally meant.

_He deserves worse._

Selim didn't respond, instead turning back to Mandy and the unconscious guard. He'd have to figure out what to do with the guy before he woke up and told them everything.

"They were about to get off," Mandy was saying, motioning for Selim to help lift the man into a nearby seat. He did so mainly to occupy his hands before he wrapped them around someone's throat. The thought slipped over his mind before he could stop it, and the voice latched onto it.

_You could just kill them and be done with it,_ it urged. Selim paused. _If you did, I would consider coexistence. I could stop the pain…_

_Shut up,_ Selim retorted, but without his usual ferocity. His mouth thinned as he agained focused on getting the guard situated. Before he could do so, though, the second guard scooped the guy up.

"We leave now."

"Thank you for your services," Mustang said gracefully, stepping to the side and letting them pass. "Please give my regards to Emperor Yao."

The man grunted something in return and swept off the train. Selim couldn't help but be relieved. Now he didn't have to worry about the guard waking up and telling them what he'd overheard. He might still find a way to contact someone once they woke up though…

If the being in his head had had eyes, he would have rolled them disdainfully. _You really should listen to me and just killed them all, but it doesn't matter anyway._

_And why is that?_

_Because…_ now Selim could feel a sort of triumphant cockiness. _You cannot withstand me forever._

_I can try._

_Why should you? To protect those pathetic, weak creatures that have only lied to you so constantly? Who would do anything to keep that truth from you because of their fear? Their innate, subconscious knowledge that we are a superior being._

_Stop it!_ Selim responded angrily, _I may not be human, but I'm nothing like you!_

The voice laughed. _Do you really believe that?_

"Selim?" Mandy's voice broke through his thoughts. Selim blinked and turned his attention on her. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, yeah," he muttered. "I have a headache. That's all."

"You don't look very well," she insisted.

"It's a really bad headache, alright?" he snapped, almost instantly regretting his words when her eyes gained just a touch of wary hurting. He didn't want to feel sorry for her; for his back-stabbing 'friend'. Then he realized what that sounded like and had to sigh. "Sorry, Mandy."

"It's alright," she said, smiling reassuringly. "We've had a pretty long day. Now, remember what I was going to tell you earlier?" Selim blinked. Would she tell him now? Had she been about to do so earlier? That would negate all of his previous thought process and just about everything the voice said if she just—

"Well, I'm a State Alchemist."

He waited for more, but nothing came. That's what she'd been about to tell him? Well that news had been a bit of a surprise, but seriously, that was all? He felt a pang of disappointment dash through him.

"You are?" he managed.

"Yeah," she said, rubbing the back of her head self consciously. "This is Major General Roy Mustang. Those 'friends' I called were the military. I must admit I didn't expect General Mustang to be the person meeting us here." Selim could practically see the stars of hero worship in her eyes as she glanced up at the taller man, and felt his stomach roll with disgust. Who would look up to this… _human?_

Selim paused, wondering where that thought had come from. He may not care for the Major General, but Mustang was a very prestigious figure of the government and an excellent alchemist from what Selim knew.

"General," Selim said, forcing himself to be polite. "My name is—"

"Selim Baker. Yes, we know," the General said. "I have personally come to escort you back to Central. Your mother was an old friend of mine, and she called in a favor to me."

Selim wanted to scream at the man, but wouldn't even allow a himself to show a disappointed shake of his head. That had been why his mother had been so upset about his questions. If he found out the truth, they would kill him. He couldn't let them know that he knew now. Just more secrets and lies.

The very thought seemed to sap every last drop of motivation from his soul. He suddenly just felt so tired of everything…of the whole situation. Still, he stood, falling back on the manners that had been ingrained into him since he could remember.

"It is an honor to meet you, sir," he said. "And I appreciate your offer to my mother. Please tell me, is she well?"

"Worried about you," Mustang said, nodding. "But otherwise she remains in good health."

The slightest weight lifted off of Selim's mind, and he let out a breath. They stood in silence for a few moments after that, with the General finally breaking it.

"I will inform the head engineer that we will leave immediately. Major, stay with Mr. Baker here. I will return shortly."

"Sir!" Mandy said, clicking her heels together in attention.

The General closed the door, and Mandy practically fell onto her seat.

"Please tell me that wasn't a dream," she said in a breathy voice. "Please tell me that that was Major General Mustang, one of the greatest alchemists who _ever lived_ , and that he actually _spoke_ to me, and that it wasn't a dream!"

Selim blinked at her, uncomfortable with the attention she was giving the man he seemed to instinctively hate. "Hero worship much?" he asked dryly.

His comment seemed to snap her out of her daze, but not out of fan-girl mode, "Are you kidding?! He almost single handedly saved the country and everyone knows he's going to be the next Fuhrer when Fuhrer Armstrong retires! What's not to admire? Besides, he ages so well." With that she giggled; a sound Selim hadn't heard in days. He immediately wished that the 'pleasure' had been indefinitely postponed.

Finally he shook his head, deciding to avoid the subject completely for now. He really didn't want to talk about the Major General. Sighing and wishing his lingering mental fatigue away, he lowered himself onto his own seat.

"A State Alchemist?" Selim asked, raising an eyebrow.

Mandy blushed. "Well, it was the only way my father would allow me to leave the house besides marriage."

"Marriage?"

She shook her head bitterly. "He comes from an old family. I was supposed to be betrothed to…oh, I lose track. I chased off a good half dozen suitors before they finally accepted me as a State Alchemist."

"You'd rather become a dog of the military?" Selim asked.

She scowled at his terminology, but didn't comment on it. Instead she answered the question, glancing out the window sadly. "I felt I was giving up less freedom this way. I prefer the military over high society any day."

The image of Mandy trying to act proper almost brought a smile back to Selim's face. Almost. Between her fairly modern clothing that didn't seem like anything rich or extravagant and her frizzy, usually unkempt hair, she didn't strike him as someone who would like the etiquette and rules usually enforced by the higher class. Selim himself had mostly been spared that kind of stifling atmosphere, as had Johan, but they were exceptions, not the general rule. At the moment, he couldn't be more thankful, lies or not. The idea of having to practically sell your soul to gain a little freedom…

He didn't know why that train of thought made him feel so uncomfortable all of a sudden.

Another pang of pain raced through his head and he lifted a hand to massage his scar. The voice that had continued to lurk at the back of his mind snickered cruelly.

The car below them suddenly lurched forward. Selim glanced out the window to see the terrain begin to pass slowly by.

"So why were you getting a job as an alchemist when I met you?" he asked, moving from her appearance and supposed place in society to what she'd told him about the alchemist job; the reason they'd met to begin with because she would not have otherwise been on the train with Bonnie and Marlin.

"Oh, that," she said with a wave of her hand. "You see, I was supposed to go under cover. The military had gotten a tip that alchemists and people who were taking those jobs had been disappearing, and so I was supposed to try and infiltrate. It was perfect too! No one would expect me to be a spy, right?"

"No," Selim admitted bitterly. She didn't look or act anything like the State Alchemists he'd met or heard about.

She must have caught the note of his voice because she did manage to look sheepish. "Well I was on the lookout for suspicious people, and was on the train that those two took. I didn't really start to get apprehensive until they left for the baggage car and Bonnie came back without Marlin. I decided to check it out. That's when I found you. My station had gotten the missing flyer just before I left, so I figured that I could help you out and get back to my original assignment before—"

"Major," Mustang interrupted as he entered the car again. "Is it common practice for you to inform civilians of military intelligence? A good deal of information related to that subject is classified."

Mandy blushed bright red and shut her mouth with an audible 'clop'. Selim found himself torn between amusement and annoyance.

Without much ado, the General took a seat next to Mandy who looked like she might faint, whether from embarrassment or excitement, Selim didn't know. He realized that he really didn't want to either.

They sat in an awkward silence for several minutes as the train finally gained full speed. Mandy was too overcome to make conversation, it seemed (the one time he wouldn't have minded it, Selim realized bitterly) and the other teen found the idea of initiating a conversation with this man more than a little detestable.

Finally, after a good quarter of an hour of nothing but the clacking and rumbling of the train, the General cleared his throat.

"Major Parkins, please elaborate on your experiences in Xing."

Selim silently scoffed at that. Typical general. He couldn't let his stupid façade down for a moment to show any real personal interest or concern. Heaven help all that would break loose if he supposedly did. Selim didn't like the sarcastic tone his thoughts had taken, but he still couldn't muster the motivation to really care.

Mandy blinked up at him for a moment before nodding curtly. "Sir! There isn't a whole lot to tell. Once the rescue party finally showed up in the desert, we were taken by train to the boarder. Once there, a royal escort waited to take Selim and myself to the palace, supposedly to honor us for our deeds."

"Yes, I heard about that," Mustang said, eyeing Selim with an expression that seemed both distrustful and thoughtful at the same time. "You went into an extremely dangerous area to save a man's life, correct?"

Selim stiffened slightly. "Yes sir," he said, forcing himself to be calm.

"Why?"

Why did everyone find that so difficult to believe? Selim scowled mentally but kept his face neutral. "I wasn't about to let anyone die if I could help," Selim muttered.

"Ah, yes. I have heard that you have some special abilities? Could you describe them to me?

Selim shot a glare at Mandy, who seemed to find the carpet on the floor suddenly fascinating. Then he figured that he wouldn't be telling them anything they didn't already know, so he addressed the larger alchemist. "It deals with the shadows, sir. I can make them move, but I can't control them well."

"How long have you been able to use these 'shadows'," Mustang asked, bringing a hand to his chin and stroking it thoughtfully with one white-gloved hand. The movement seemed more threatening than it should have.

"Not long, sir. Just a few days."

"Have you used them before that?" he asked.

Selim wanted to look away, but he refused to allow himself to do so. "Yes, sir. When I felt my life was in danger, the shadows reacted. It only happened once."

The dark-haired man nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer. "So when you rescued that man, did you use your 'shadows' then?"

It really bothered him that Mustang kept referring to his shadows in quotation, as if it were some childish label and Selim wasn't intelligent enough to know its real name or intent. "Yes, sir," he answered through gritted teeth.

"You were with another man, correct?" Mustang asked, looking thoroughly interested. "Did he question you?"

Selim shook his head. "No. I passed it off as circle-less transmutation." He dropped the 'sir' completely; something Mustang obviously picked up on as the suspicion that had temporarily been replaced by curiosity abruptly returned.

"I helped circulate that rumor," Mandy spoke up. "So people wouldn't panic. I know a lot of high-ranked alchemists who can do so, you yourself being one of them, sir, and gave such examples to anyone who questioned. It worked rather well." She paused and fidgeted, looking uncomfortable. "Um…sir," she said slowly, "is it…I mean would it be possible for me to learn how to do that, sir?"

"No," Mustang answered sharply, and just a little too quickly, startling both Mandy and Selim. "That isn't something you can simply learn."

His eyes narrowed almost threateningly at Selim. It was such a familiar expression that it seemed to bring back a de ja vous. The homunculus' eyes widened as an image flashed through his mind.

xXx

_"I'd hoped we could avoid this," Selim heard himself say to Mustang who had been quite literally pinned down in the human transmutation circle by none other than Fuehrer Bradley. "But we're out of options. There's no time left."_

_Mustang blanched, gaining a fearful, desperate gleam in his eyes as he glanced between Selim and older man who held a sword in either hand, stabbed right through the Colonel's palms to hold him in place._

_"We will force you to open the gate," Bradley said, his voice devoid of emotion._

xXx

His brain practically exploded in pain for a moment before the sensation backed off, allowing Selim to realize he'd yelled out.

"Selim?" Mandy asked. "What's wrong?"

"It…really hurts," he managed, somehow unable to stop his mind from going over the scene again. The man with the swords had been Fuhrer Bradley, Selim was sure of it. So just what…?

He could feel a smug triumph from the other presence in his head.

_It is finally time._

"Sir, isn't there something we can do? Some pain killers?"

"Not until we reach East City," he heard Mustang say. Even in his pain, Selim caught the suspicion and wariness in his voice.

Selim shoved his apprehension at the man's callousness aside in favor of concentrating on the other being in his head. _No!_ he protested. _Leave me alone!_

_There is nothing you can do, weakling._ The voice responded coldly.

Selim felt the other _push_ somehow, and then, as if he'd passed through a barrier, scenes and images invaded his mind, and all he could do was scream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long guys. Fighting a bout of depression, but I'm back now and this should be update fairly regularly for a while. :)
> 
> OH! And this story now has a TV Tropes page! If you have an account, head on over and add your own thoughts on the tropes used! :D I'd really appreciate it! Thanks! http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/AnythingButNormal


	13. Chapter 13

_The tunnel had been started. Their dream was beginning to turn into a reality. Soon they would rid the world of the weak beings that thrived off of it and they would open the gate. Then all would be theirs._

xXx

Selim heard himself breathing hard between the screams, but it seemed as if it all happened from a distance. The scenes continued overwhelming his mind, as if he could see years and years of memories in just moments; and they didn't stop.

xXx

_"You should have waited for my permission," the blond man with the beard was saying. The only outward sign of his displeasure was the tone in his voice._

_"Please forgive me, Father," Selim heard himself say, "but he knew too much. He will be easily replaced."_

_"We would not need to replace him if we simply manipulated him. The promise of power and wealth will buy the heart of almost any human. Do you understand?"_

_Selim nodded. "Yes, Father."_

_"Good. See that you do not forget."_

_"Yes, Father."_

xXx

 _He heard of the exploits of the Fullmetal Alchemist and his younger brother and could only shake his head at them. Sacrifices weren't supposed to risk their lives and bodies like that. Then he'd met him and couldn't help but be…under whelmed. Seriously, were teenagers supposed to be that short? At least Selim and his container had a_ reason _for being small._

_That stunted, small being was supposed to be one of the keys to Father's plan?_

_xXx_

_First there was darkness, then light. It blinded and hurt. He didn't cry out though. He would be strong. Somehow this very idea seemed to be ingrained into the very fiber of his being._

_Fighting back a grimace (somehow knowing it would be undesirable to show an expression of his discomfort), he looked up at the man towering over him._

_"Welcome, my first born," he said._

xXx

"Selim? Selim?" Vaguely he heard Mandy shouting his name, but he couldn't seem to answer. There was so much there…so much knowledge, so many memories. It felt as if his mind would burst.

Is this what it felt like for an alchemist who saw the Gate of Truth?

Where had that come from? It seemed so foreign and yet familiar…

_xXx_

_As soon as he saw the white, he knew he'd succeeded. Mustang stood rigid and prepared, but also confused and shaking as he tried to mask his fear. Then he turned around to see the being that kept the Gate. Selim couldn't help but enjoy the utter horror on the man's face. A deep, twisted smirk crossed his own face as he anticipated the pain that would follow. He wasn't disappointed. The normally stoic colonel screamed in sheer agony as his hands suddenly shot to his face. Selim's grin widened._

_"That is the price you pay, Alchemist," the strange gatekeeper said._

_Then the dark-haired man was suddenly pulled towards the gate by the pitch-black hands that so resembled Selim's own power. He frowned, knowing he'd have to hitch a ride to get back. This was where the risk to him came in._

_Good mood dampened, he reluctantly followed Mustang through the gate, glancing back at the being just once before the giant doors closed._

_"You paid an interesting price as well," it said before he'd found himself back in Father's lair._

xXx

_It often surprised him how easily the sacrifices allowed themselves to be controlled. Couldn't they see it? Was it truly that difficult for them to not notice Father's hand in all of it? And they were supposed to be geniuses; amazing beings with incredible abilities. No wonder the human race was doomed._

_xXx_

_He could see it now, just how well Father's plan would work. The mere idea behind it was so advanced it almost stunned him. He often found himself in awe simply when thinking about it. And today he would begin his first assignment. Today he would take on the persona of the adopted son of Amestris' leader. Today, they would take another step closer to ensuring their victory._

_xXx_

"Selim, answer me!" Mandy screeched.

"Too much…" Selim heard himself say. Somehow he'd ended up on the floor, hands clutching his head as he fought to contain the knowledge and information that continued to pour into his mind. How could he ever contain it all?

_Fool. You can't._

Selim's eyes went wide, although they couldn't focus. "No…stay back," he managed to get out. "Get away!'

He didn't see Mandy's worried expression as she backed off, nor did he notice Mustang's grim stare.

 _Do you honestly believe you can win against me?_ Actually, Selim didn't really know what to believe at the moment, and he couldn't clear his mind enough to think it through either. _I will not be subject to your weakness any longer._

He tried to stay conscious, he really did, but he wasn't sure how well he succeeded. With all the memories suddenly running through his head, he couldn't focus on much of anything. His eyes refused to take in any sight and he couldn't register any feeling from his body. It was as if his mind had been lost in a maelstrom of sorts, and he had no anchor to hold him to safety.

Unable to hold on any longer, he registered something akin to slipping inside of his soul somewhere, and then nothing.

xXx

Mandy already felt guilty enough for quite literally reporting Selim's secrets. She hated lying to him. The government already knew practically everything about him, but that didn't stop her from feeling terrible. His abrupt screaming and grabbing his head in pain only added worry to the guilt. Now she knelt by him, panicked as he continued to yell and scream on the ground.

"Selim!" she shouted, trying to be heard over him. "Selim, answer me!" They needed to get him focused on the here and now if the pain was really that bad. She'd do a field diagnosis and see what they could do, but she could really only do that if he could answer her questions.

"Too much," he managed to gasp out.

"What?" Mandy said, but she doubted he heard her. He just clutched his head tighter. She hated this. She felt so helpless and useless, not an unusual feeling for her, but she thought she'd put that behind her when she'd been accepted as a state alchemist.

She really needed to learn Alchestry. Healing just might be helpful at times like these. She berated herself for the sarcastic thoughts. Sitting here and commenting on the unfairness of the universe wouldn't change anything.

"No…stay back!" Selim said suddenly. Surprised, Mandy snatched her hand away from where it had been resting on his shoulder. "Get away!" he yelled. Instinctively, she stood up and backed away from him, bumping into her idol. She would often look back later and it would strike her as to just how worried she had to be to not even register that fact.

"Selim…" Mandy said almost desperately, but she didn't approach him. The General stayed silent.

The door burst open and several military officers began to pour in, lead by Lieutenant Hawkeye—a woman with short, blond hair that Mandy had only just been introduced to when she'd gone to meet the military personnel earlier (and been utterly shocked that _the_ General Mustang had come to meet them personally). The Lieutenant and all of the soldiers had their weapons drawn, having heard the yelling and screaming.

"What is the situation, sir?" the blond woman asked.

Mustang opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again when, unexpectedly, Selim stopped screaming. Everyone watched with baited anticipation as he just lay there for a few moments, breathing hard. Then he got to his feet slowly and casually, as if nothing had happened.

"Selim," Mandy said again, going to step forward, but a hand on her shoulder held her back. Confused, she glanced back at General Mustang. He didn't move his steely gaze away from the dark-haired boy. "Sir," she started, but Selim cut her off.

"Roy Mustang," he said. Mandy gasped, her own eyes shooting to the homunculus. It wasn't the same person. It couldn't be. It sounded like several people had spoken at once, and his words alone held a hatred that sent fear shooting up and down her spine. It couldn't touch the emotion in his violet eyes; as if he'd stepped in a foul-smelling puddle and had to remain in the company of whatever pathetic creature had made it. It was an expression she'd seen on so many nobles her father had introduced her to; it usually meant that Mandy was just wasting the time of her supposed betters. She hated that expression, and she had never seen anyone pull it of to such an extreme. She felt a sickness begin to stir in her stomach as he continued to speak. "The Flame Alchemist. Still not Fuehrer?"

General Mustang's grip on Mandy's shoulder tightened.

Selim continued, tone still condescending. "I see you've regained your eyesight. Pity. I wanted the last thing you ever saw to be the gate."

Mandy's jaw dropped in disbelief. His words seemed to pound on her soul harder and harder with every syllable. She wanted him to stop; to say it was a joke and he was leading her on before grinning that somewhat condescending and yet horribly sincere grin of his. He didn't, and his continued, smug silence only proved her theory, no matter how much she didn't want to acknowledge it: This wasn't Selim at all. This was the homunculus; the one that General Mustang had said he would kill. Before, she'd been unable to imagine Selim ever being a real threat. Now though…

Several clicks from off to the side had them glancing at the guards and Lt. Hawkeye. She had a blank expression on her face as she aimed her gun straight for Selim's head.

"Fire at will," she heard Mustang say, and her stomach clenched. Just like that? What about Selim? Her Selim; the one she'd gotten to know over the last week. He had to still be in there somewhere, right?

She yelped and crouched down on instinct as several guns went off. Then she snapped her head up to look over at Selim. To both her great relief and confusion, he stood there smirking triumphantly, as relaxed as ever. She glanced back and around the room. The guards lay scattered, all on their backs and all looking down at their feet, where shadows had wrapped around them.

Then she heard a muffled sound over her head and looked up to see Lieutenant Hawkeye hanging over what looked to be a shadow monster of some sort. It had an eye above what looked like a long, thin mouth and razor sharp teeth. Mandy cried out, but didn't dare move.

Thankfully, no one paid her any attention.

"I think I'll let her be the first life to replenish the energy in my stone," Selim said in the same, smirking tone. Mandy blinked. Stone? What stone? "What do you think, Colonel? Oh, wait, you're a Major General now, aren't you? All that power and still useless." Without waiting for a reply, the shadows dropped the woman who fell, struggling, towards the mouth—

_Snap!_

A miniature explosion of flame blew Mandy down hard as it singed the seats. From the shaking floor of the train car, she blinked and looked back up at General Mustang, then over at Selim and Lt. Hawkeye. The woman had somehow escaped, much to Mandy's relief. She could see the blond jumping over the worn, red seats of the train, scrambling to get away despite her age.

Selim's eyes had narrowed, but otherwise he hadn't moved a muscle. "That was rather reckless. In such a small space?" he said to the General.

"Your shadows versus my flames; of all the powers the homunculi had, yours are the weakest against me; and I killed two of you."

Selim raised an eyebrow curiously. He didn't seem worried in the slightest. "You could have snapped several times earlier in the conversation. Why didn't you?"

"Any last words for your mother?" Mustang asked softly.

At first, Selim didn't respond. Then he burst out into a laugh; a cruel, heartless guffaw that didn't fit the boy she'd come to know at all. She wanted to stop him; to stop all of this, but had no idea where to even start. It suddenly hit Mandy as to how much she really hated the whole situation. She wanted to intervene, but as long as Selim acted like this, she didn't dare. Her mind somehow didn't seem to want to connect to her body anyway.

"Pity and sadness," Selim scoffed. "I shouldn't have expected anything else from stupid, sentimental humans." The General's mouth thinned into a hard line, and he went to raise his hand again, but then his eyes flew wide as his body went rigid. Puzzled, scared, and confused, Mandy tried to find the source of his worry. It took her a moment to catch the tiny, dark line that trailed from the shadows of the scorched benches to the General's own shadow.

Gulping, she glanced at his outstretched hands, and realized that she could see just the barest hint of the same dark lines encircling his wrist, glove and even fingers, holding them in place.

"You see, _human_ ," Selim went on, still standing with his hands tucked casually into his pockets, "my shadows are indeed susceptible to your flames, but only when you can use them. Did you honestly think I had survived for 300 years by relying on my shadows alone?" He scoffed again. "Just one of the many reasons why homunculi are superior beings.

"Oh, and I would warn your subordinates to lower their weapons if they don't want to watch as I squeeze your life out of you in front of them. Or I could just slice through your flesh. Although it would be a tad too painless for you, I can do it with my last thought. It's their choice." Mustang took a breath as the shadows tightened, drawing blood on his neck. Mandy hadn't even noticed a shadow there.

She'd never felt so torn before. This was her friend—the kid she'd immediately liked, despite his somewhat condescending attitude and pompous air. He'd been a good person; a good friend. She couldn't believe that was all an act, but she also could not see a trace of that person in the being standing before them.

It was that thought that seemed to allow her to snap out of her daze. She hated this and didn't want it to be happening, but it was. She couldn't just sit there and let what was left of her friend do this! Finally deciding on a course of action, she reached as nonchalantly as she could for one of her circled papers, but Selim's voice stopped her.

"You too, Mandy," he said. "Stand up and keep your hands in the air or we're going to have a blood bath on our hands." Slowly, Mandy followed his orders, standing while holding her hands in the air (no easy feat). Something about Selim's voice when he'd addressed her had caught her attention and caused the dying spark of hope inside of her to flare. Had it just been her imagination, or had the edge left his words? And he hadn't called her 'human', nor had he called her by her last name as he had with Mustang. Why?

"I guess it is a shame, _General_ ," Selim said mockingly, taking deliberate steps forward as he spoke. "A shame that there isn't a way out for you, this time. Don't worry, though," the smile on his face sent shivers up and down Mandy's spine, "I'll make sure all of your knowledge doesn't go to waste.

"You know, when I absorb someone's memories, it's like stealing them right out of the human's stupid head. They don't remember it at all after that, even if they happen to live."

"If you do anything to me, they'll kill you, Pride," Mustang ground out. Mandy shivered at the tone in his voice. She'd never seen anyone look so angry before. His eyes seemed to burn with an inner fire that made her suddenly very glad he wasn't directing it towards her. "And from what I hear, you don't have enough power to immobilize them all."

Selim's—no, Pride's—cruel smile widened. "Perhaps not," he conceded. Then, a shield of shadows sprung up between them and the soldiers, separating Mandy, Selim and Mustang from the others. "But I can do this," he said.

Several shouts from the other side of the shield followed by a series of useless, loud shots had Mandy cringing. She'd never been fond of fire arms and hadn't really gotten used to them yet. She'd only been in the military for a few months for crying out loud! It abruptly hit her as to just what she'd gotten herself into.

"You could have done that earlier," the General growled at Pride. "You were just gloating."

The homunculus laughed again. "Father always taught me to play with my food."

The ice in Mandy's stomach began to spread through her veins. She'd had some training, but this had been her first field assignment—it was supposed to be a simple reconnaissance mission and they'd needed a spy badly enough to send a green horn like her into enemy territory. She'd originally been excited as that spoke volumes of what they thought of her capabilities. Now she wished they'd taken a chance on someone else; someone with more experience. She had thought she'd been ready for situations like this, where she had to think on her feet and make possible life and death decisions for her friends and colleagues. It made her sick to realize just how wrong she'd been.

"And you say we're inferior beings?" It was Mustang's turn to scoff.

Pride's smile dimmed somewhat.

"Sir!" a shout from Lt. Hawkeye reached them.

"Tell them to stand down," Pride said, voice once again cold.

Mustang actually chuckled. "You need a human to give such an order? How the mighty have fallen. You're not even a shadow of the being you used to be. Pathetic."

"Something I will remedy shortly," Pride said, his voice dangerously quiet. Mandy noticed his hands had clenched into fists, shaking at his side.

"Selim…" she started slowly.

"Shut up," he growled at her, never taking his eyes off of Mustang. "And I'm still watching you. Don't move, or he dies."

"Reduced to useless threats?" Mustang asked. "Please."

Mandy couldn't figure out why the General was antagonizing him. Angry people tended to make stupid mistakes, and she couldn't see an angry homunculus as being much different there, but it still seemed like a bad idea to her.

Then she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. Lt. Hawkeye had opened a window and was leaning out dangerously as she positioned herself behind Selim and raised her gun to fire at him.

 _A distraction_ , Mandy realized as she glanced at the stoic General, impressed at their teamwork, even when they couldn't really communicate with each other.

"I was going to let you live a little longer," Pride glowered. "But it seems you are too dangerous to allow that, even for revenge."

Mustang rolled his eyes. "Why would you want revenge against me? I didn't reduce you to a sniveling shadow."

"Don't worry," Selim said calmly, although his smile had not returned. Beside him, a large shadow rose and formed itself into a sharp spike. "I'll take care of Fullmetal soon enough. One other thing I want you to know, General, is that once I eat you, all of your men will follow."

He'd barely finished speaking when everything hit the fan. Lt. Hawkeye shot at Selim as the train went over a particularly nasty bump in the railing and the shadow spike lurched towards Mustang all in the same moment. Due to the bump, the shot hit Selim's shoulder instead of his head and he cried out, clutching the wound, matching Mandy's own yell of denial as she felt her body move forward, situating herself between the shadow's point and Mustang.

It all seemed to happen in slow motion. It really had been an incredibly stupid move on her part. She didn't think jumping in front of that spike would do much except kill her too (probably wouldn't even save Mustang), but her body had moved on instinct. All she knew was that someone was going to die, and she'd had enough of standing aside while everything happened in front of her.

Then Mandy saw the spike accelerating towards her and realized that she was going to die. She half expected her life to flash before her eyes, but all she could focus on was Selim's brown irises as they glanced up painfully and found her own.

Brown…?

Then she squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself for impact as more shots from Lt. Hawkeye's gun rang through her ears, drowning out the train's clacking.

She waited, expecting a sharp pain that she imagined would come with having a spike shoved through one's chest. Not moments later, something wrapped itself tightly around her shoulders, pinning her arms to her side.

Then the world sped up again.

Gasping, she opened her eyes, surprised and extremely relieved, she found that Selim's shadow hadn't skewered her…and coincidentally not the General either. The homunculus had fallen to his knees, grasping his shoulder as he breathed heavily. His shield had extended to block him from sight of Lt. Hawkeye and his make-shift spike had turned into a thin, dark rope.

"W-what? Selim?" she asked hesitantly, unable to resist breaking the heavy quiet that had fallen over the scene.

"General!" Lt. Hawkeye called from the other side. She must have come back into the car.

"Lieutenant," Mustang returned, sounding both confused and relieved, not that Mandy could blame him. That was about how she felt as well.

"Selim," Mandy started again as he lurched to his feet.

"What are you playing at, homunculus?" Mustang said, but his words seemed far more reserved than they had been. Mandy still cringed, but to her utter surprise, Selim ignored them completely, stumbling past them and the ruined remains of the benches. Then he began to make his way towards the door at the opposite end of the car.

"Running away?" the General called.

Selim paused, but didn't turn to look back at them. "It's taking everything I have to not hurt you, right now," he said in a pained voice. "I want to, desperately…I think. I didn't even know why…it's all so confusing. All the memories. I'm not sure…I need to think. Please don't goad me into killing you. I want to…but I don't. I'm not sure I can control it…so…shut up, you filthy human."

He began to stumble towards the door at the end, still breathing hard and clutching his shoulder. She was surprised he could walk with a wound like that.

Mandy wanted to call out again, but something stopped her. She wasn't even sure what.

He opened the door.

"Sir!" she heard Hawkeye say again.

"Be ready, Lieutenant," Mustang said.

No sooner had he closed the door behind him, than all of the shadows vanished, shrinking back to harmless pools of blocked light scattered around the room.

"After him!" the General ordered as Mandy stumbled to the side, leaning heavily on one of the burned seats. The soldiers stumbled past, but before they'd even reached the door, a jerk ran through the train and the General swore.

"He's uncoupled the cars, sir," she heard Lt. Hawkeye say.

"I know, Lieutenant," he growled. "Probably cut right through the coupling. Get to the front of the train, stop the engine. We're going after him."

A hand appeared on her shoulder, causing her to jump and look up at the harsh face of the General.

"Can you still fight?" he asked.

A million thoughts ran through her mind. _'Of course not!'_ being the first In 10 minutes she'd had all the harshness of the reality she'd thought she'd been able to grasp (and how wrong had she been about that) thrown into her face. She'd realized just how weak and inexperienced she was and had seen a friend try to kill (and eat?) people in cold blood. She'd almost died and almost seen both said friend and her idol killed.

But she couldn't say any of that. Not only did it make her sound even weaker than she'd felt before, but she'd be left behind again. Not to mention she'd lose face in front of Major General Mustang.

Feeling her features harden she took a deep breath and nodded.

"Yes, sir."

To her surprise, he smiled. "Good. Follow me."

She somehow found her feet again and went after him as he made his way quickly over the few, small debris littering the car floor and through the door on the other side. Mandy trailed in silence as they entered the next car. It looked exactly like the car they'd just left used to be before an alchemist and homunculus had decided to have a showdown.

"That was your first hostile situation, wasn't it," the General said when they'd reached the other car. It wasn't a question. Mandy cringed. Was it that obvious? She'd had a gun pointed at her before, but she'd never really felt like she'd been in such danger. She had always felt so confident that she could take on just about anyone else. Why couldn't she this time?

Of course the one pointing the proverbial gun this time had been a friend. Apparently that made all the difference in the world. She wasn't sure whether that was a good or bad thing.

"Y-yes sir," she said, finally acknowledging his remark.

"You could have stopped him at the end. You have transmutation circles that you use as a varying arsenal, useful in both espionage and battle. Why didn't you use them?"

Mandy felt an embarrassed blush rise to her cheeks. "I…didn't think of it, sir."

"Hesitation like that can kill you and the people depending on you in battle," Mustang said sharply.

Mandy flinched. "Yes, sir," she muttered.

"But, I believe you also just saved my life back there." Mandy felt her eyes widen in surprise. They reached the door leading to the coal car, and he paused. "And you pulled yourself together quickly. Well done, major."

With everything that had happened, his compliment felt more like a consolation prize than anything else, but it still made her smile in spite of the situation.

"Thank you, sir."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note:
> 
> I've had several people comment about Mandy being a state alchemist at her age, and felt I should address the issue as it probably won't be mentioned more than in passing in the story. Fuehrer Armstrong (Olivier) lowered the bar a great deal when she came into office. The reason it was so high before was because the homunculi were weeding out the best of the best for sacrifices. Instead of only letting in three or four of the best of the applicants in twice a year, they'll often take a dozen or more. Obviously they still have to pass a test and they have to show off what skill they have, but it isn't abnormal for the military to take younger people now mainly because they are more trainable-they still have to be skilled, but their age is now taken into consideration (a lot of that is the fault of the Elrics, because they really were just that good).
> 
> One thing that Olivier did get rid of is the name thing: no new alchemists have titles or names given to them by the Fuehrer (mainly because she doesn't want to have to deal with something stupid and petty like that).
> 
> A common age for people to enter the military is just after high-school graduation (or secondary school, as the case may be), or just after they become an adult (age of 18), so having Mandy become a State Alchemist at a young age isn't quite so unheard of anymore. Actually, she has several alchemists who entered about the same time as she did who were in a similar age bracket.
> 
> Someone also asked why she would have been chosen at such a young age to infiltrate an enemy base. Here are the reasons:  
> 1\. She doesn't look or act like a spy at all.  
> 2\. It was a very simple reconnaissance mission, more or less a 'get in, get out, give us the information we need'. She wasn't going to go in deep, they just wanted to see what was going on with the alchemists being hired. Once they had more word on the screening process, they would have sent in a more experienced alchemist (or two) to infiltrate deep. It was more or less a 'test the waters' kind of mission.  
> Note: She failed. ^^; Mainly because she became side tracked, and she had a pretty good reason, but her direct superior officer isn't happy with her right now. Unfortunately, we never get to meet him.  
> 3\. She worked hard to get where she is. She honestly saw getting into the military as her only way out, so she had the motivation to learn what she needed to learn. She's no Elric, but she is talented (about as talented as any normal state alchemist). So she's skilled enough that if something came up, she should be able to defend herself.
> 
> In the anime, it has been brought to my attention that Selim's eyes are purple/blue. For purposes of this fic, it's because he was always Pride. Hoenheim had gold eyes, so did the Homunculus in the Flask (Dwarf in the Flask/'Father'), those are closer to brown so I can see Selim's original eye color more as brown than blue. The blue-eye could have easily been a disguise of some sort (after all, he had to have a background, and perhaps his 'parents' had blue eyes), but either way that was his eye color when he was Pride, so that's what it changes to when he's in...well Pride mode. ^^;
> 
> I hope that answers all of your questions. :)


	14. Chapter 14

Selim's eyes barely took in the sight of the rock and grass that rushed by. The train was still going awfully fast in his exhausted opinion. The confusion didn't help. His head still felt like a hurricane of memories all fighting for dominance. He couldn't seem to sort through them…and wasn't sure he wanted to.

He didn't want to think about what had just happened, and it all seemed to settle behind a numb shield, locked away for him to examine later.

At least the voice had disappeared, although he wasn't sure that was a good thing. Did that mean he'd become that voice? Did he hate or like that idea?

It hurt too much to think about, so he shook the thought from his head. He was in no condition to fight or defend himself; he'd used the shadows far too much. What a marvelous idea that had been. But then again, he'd figured he'd just use the energy from the souls he'd planned on devouring to return his strength.

He paused. Why hadn't he done that again? He could have, couldn't he? Somehow the very idea felt wrong…and right.

Again, he pushed the thought from his mind and tried to focus on jumping from the train. He was not going to stay here and just become a sitting duck for them to find. It wouldn't take them long to come back for him. As pathetic as humans were, it didn't mean they were _that_ incompetent.

Besides, his pride wouldn't allow him to just sit around and wait for death.

He almost scoffed at that thought. His pride, huh? What a joke. A pathetic pun that didn't even deserve to be laughed at.

The train still wasn't slowing as quickly as he would have liked. He scowled. It probably hadn't been that long since he'd used one of his shadows to slice through the coupling between this car and the one the alchemists and soldiers had been in. It felt like an eternity though.

He scowled at the ground again. Perhaps it would be easier to jump from the back of the car? He doubted there had been any more railroad workers on the train than were completely necessary. Greed's former vessel may have been many things, but he, at least, had not been stupid. And as much as he hated to admit it, neither was Mustang. At least comparatively. Nor had either one of them been one to tempt fate more than necessary.

A mirthless chuckle forced its way past his lips.

Ling should have killed him when he had the chance. He'd gotten soft too. This is what a country without war did to people: made them even weaker than normal.

Forcing his eyes open (when had they fallen shut?), he tried yet again to focus on the ground in front of him. He was standing on a small ledge that was a corner of the back of a car, clinging to a hand hold on the side as he tried to prepare himself to jump.

His mind refused to focus though. If this is what humans were like, no wonder they were so weak. Useless bodies, pathetic endurance—they had to sleep every night after all! And now he was just like them. Simply fabulous.

The fact that any of them had survived at all was in and of itself a miracle. Either that or it attested to human determination.

Wait, had he just _complimented_ the human race?

He was stalling, he realized. Jumping in normal conditions wasn't exactly the best idea. Jumping in this condition was suicide. But he didn't have time to wait until the train came to a stop.

Or did he?

Why was he in such a hurry again?

Oh, right. Mustang.

That disgusting piece of scum that—

Just then, something off to the side caught his attention. Two figures dropped from the back of the slowing train.

Selim's eyes narrowed as he tried to make them out. Was that…? Yes…yes it was. It had to be…

Surprise in his condition wasn't good either. The muscles in his hand loosened involuntarily, and he suddenly found himself slipping towards the train's wheels. Somehow he found the presence of mind to push off with his legs, and he managed to avoid landing anywhere near the giant, steel circles. It didn't mean he avoided injury.

Stars exploded before his vision as he landed painfully on his shoulder.

He was unconscious before he'd even realized he'd cried out.

xXx

_The voice was gone. Of course it would be. The voice had been him after all…well, who he used to be. Who he now was again? That was what he'd planned, after all. Wait until both personalities had been on enough of a similar wavelength to merge? The Colonel's presence had been infinitely helpful, as had Mandy's little secret betrayal. At that point, Selim had felt resentful enough to identify with Pride, unknowing as it had been._

_Pride had 300 years worth of memories, give or take a decade. Selim had 15. It wasn't difficult to believe that he would return to full strength. Actually, it bordered on laughable to even imagine the weak, human-like personality would stand a chance._

_So why did he feel like this? Conflicted didn't even begin to describe it. He should have gone back to the way he'd been under Father: Ruthless, heartless, determined and superior. Actually, that last one should have been a given. He was a homunculus! Superiority shouldn't have been a question at all!_

_Yet here he was, trapped inside an empty vortex in his mind, unable to decide at all._

_Humans were inferior._

_But all life should be cherished._

_He was powerful._

_So were Alchemists, and some humans that worked hard enough and had enough inane talent for swordplay, martial arts and/or projectile weapons._

_Humans were pathetic, weak and not worth his time._

_What did that say about homunculi? Humans had bested him and apparently Father as well (not to mention most if not all of the other homunculi—he'd have to somehow find out what happened to them)._

_He could not dismiss one side or the other. Such indecision would cause hesitations and hesitations would cause weakness. Both sides of him could agree on that, but the realization didn't help him to come to any sort of conclusion._

_It felt as if his very soul would tear at the seams._

_Of course, that didn't matter much, as Mustang would undoubtedly find and kill him easily enough. That one wasn't as weak as the others. Perhaps that's why Pride…Selim…they hated him so much. He wouldn't give them another chance. And they couldn't seem to wake up._

_Too much shadow usage. It had been a reckless move, but Pride had believed that he would replenish their philosopher's stone so it hadn't mattered. Then Selim had stopped them._

_It had been stupid, but they didn't regret it. Or did they? They didn't know…and that knowledge only continued to bother them._

_The worst part was that 'they' were really 'he'. He couldn't even agree with himself, but then again, how could he?_

_After all, humans were weak._

_But they were also strong._

_And nothing, it seemed, would change either opinion._

xXx

He wasn't dead. That fact registered in his brain as he slowly made his way back to reality. It also surprised him. He could tell it had been a while since he'd fallen asleep (his stomach could attest to that), but had he been lucky enough to land in a place that could hide him from the military?

He was neither naïve nor hopeful enough to really believe that.

Not anymore.

He was lying on his back, and something had been draped over him. His shoulder stung and ached in a constant throb, but he could tell the wound had been tended to. Had he been captured after all then? It was dark (a ping of both fear and annoyance zinged through him, although he would not admit outright to either) after all. He was also moving. The steady clacking of a train that had become so familiar to him recently reached his ears and sent uncomfortable jolts through his body.

It would stand to reason that he'd been captured and thrown into a holding cell of some sort as they transferred him back to Central. Interesting and a tad disappointing. He'd thought better of the fifth sacrifice.

"He awake yet?" a soft voice managed to puncture his thoughts.

His brow furrowed. That voice had been so familiar…

"Can't tell," another, deeper voice answered.

"It's been almost four days," the first voice said.

"Then he'll be mighty hungry when he wakes up."

A pause, and then, "Who would have shot him like that?"

"We've been over this before, Bon."

Selim's eyes flew open. Bonnie and Marlin?

"What?" he croaked, trying to push himself up and failing miserably.

How utterly humiliating—showing such weakness in front of _humans._

"Well I guess that answers that question," Bonnie said dryly. In the darkness he could only see what looked like a box or two in front of his face. That was promising. If he could see something, it meant there had to be light somewhere. If necessary, he could use his power.

Unfortunately, his aching body was telling him that would be a very bad idea at this point.

"Hey, kid," Marlin voiced from somewhere to his right. He focused on turning his head to look at the source of the voice, and succeeded marginally. Then he found himself watching what seemed to be a large hand advancing towards him.

"Don't touch me!" he said, flinching back and hissing at the movement.

Fortunately, the hand backed off. Relaxing slightly, Selim managed to force his way past the pain and saw two dark figures above him. He could barely make out Bonnie's light hair in the darkness, let alone any features, but he knew it was them.

"Alright, kid," Marlin said placatingly. "We understand, but we need to know how you feel."

His first response was something along the lines of: " _Why should I tell something as_ _useless as you?"_ His second response started in on the conflict all over again. _"I feel horrible. Is there anything you have for the pain?"_

So he settled for something somewhere in between. "I got shot and fell off of a train. How am I supposed to feel?"

"Alright, alright," Marlin said, a little put out. "So you hurt. You up for something to eat?"

"Yes!" Oh that response had been pure Gluttony, and far too large of a blow to his pride. "I mean, yes," he amended calmly.

Marlin chuckled, and he could see Bonnie's figure visibly relax. "You got it, kid. We don't have much, but here's some bread."

"Thank you," he blurted out before he could stop himself. Ugh, he'd actually said that to such lowly beings. Then he felt bread against his lips and almost completely forgot. Almost.

Stupid Gluttony. He'd never regretted absorbing his 'brother' so much. Still, he would not be reduced to being fed by those hands, and forced himself to move. His arms responded sluggishly, but succeeded in grabbing the bread. He didn't even have the strength to sit up to eat after that, but managed to get the whole chunk down without choking.

The bread did little to truly sate his appetite as usual, but the food in his stomach felt much better none.

"There you go," Marlin said after Selim had finished inhaling the food.

"What happened?" the homunculus managed to ask.

"We were hoping you could answer that," Bonnie said shortly.

Selim paused, unsure of what to say. He couldn't tell them the truth without endangering himself, but a large part of him did not want to lie to them. It was ridiculous. A lie could easily fix this—but it could also put them in a great deal of danger, and that started the inner conflict all over again.

Finally he decided to appease the kinder side for the moment, just so he could actually do _something_.

"It's a little fuzzy," well, that was the truth. Two personalities merging to an extent and regaining a few centuries worth of memories could do that to a person. "Something to do with the military…lots of shooting and yelling…and danger. Something very dangerous…"

They didn't have to know that the most dangerous person on that train had been him. If they ticked him off at all, they'd find out anyway, he promised himself. The compromise appeased the harsher side of him somewhat.

"How did you find me?" He asked, changing the subject.

"We never got off like we said. Hid in the back and all," Marlin responded.

"Weren't you going to try and get into Xing?"

"We were told in no uncertain terms that if they caught us without papers again that we would regret it. We found it a tad deterring."

_Cowards,_ Selim thought then shook the thought from his head, focusing on the other's words.

"Anyway, so we were thinking of heading down to Rush Valley or something in that area," the large man continued. "And then the train started to slow down. Someone had uncoupled the cars, which is strange because doing so while a train is moving is practically impossible without slicing directly through the coupling."

Selim didn't say anything at all, staring up to the dark ceiling of the car they were in. A baggage car again, he realized. That was why it was so dark. And rather cool too. Ah the joys of winter weather.

After a few moments of quiet, Marlin continued. "Anyway, we figured something had happened, and had just hopped off the train when we saw you fall."

"Got yourself pretty banged up," Bonnie interjected. "One shoulder dislocated, the other shot clean through. You're lucky you survived, kid."

"I'm kind of hard to kill," Selim muttered.

"Noticed," Marlin said with a smile in his voice. "Good thing too. Anyway, we did some fast first aid and debated leaving you there for your girl to come back and find, but we also figured that whatever had shot you couldn't have been good for you. So we decided to take you along with us. Figured that once you woke up you could call whoever you needed to and let them know you're alright and let them come and get you."

Selim couldn't help his scoff. "You thought it had something to do with the FFO and Falk, didn't you."

"The thought had crossed our mind," Bonnie answered with a tight voice. "But we also saw the Military before the train stopped, so that was at the top of our list."

"We figured that there was a clash between the Military and the Xingese guards and you got caught up in it, actually," Marlin supplied.

Selim sighed. "Yeah, something like that."

They sat in silence for several seconds before Marlin spoke up again.

"You're still tired," the large man said. "You get some more sleep if you can. We'll wake you up when we stop."

"Where are we heading?"

"Don't know," Marlin said with a shrug. "South somewhere. We caught the first train we came across. Traveled for two and a half days with you on my back before we crossed some tracks. Took another hour or so to reach a town. We got you to a doctor there who said you were just tired and would need rest. He said you'd need to relieve yourself when you woke up, but you'll just have to hold it to the next stop."

"You would focus on that," Bonny muttered.

Selim blinked, realizing that the man's words were true…very true. Ugh. As Pride, he'd rarely had to worry about that. Most of what his body didn't use would get converted to energy and stored in his philosopher's stone. Any true waste products were usually small enough that he rarely had to expunge such products from his body. Having to do so every day was nothing short of disgusting.

Still, he was determined to hold it and not show an ounce of discomfort in front of these two.

"Anyway, it wasn't too difficult to hop a train headed south. These towns are small enough that no one thinks anyone in them could do any wrong, so they don't check." Marlin said offhandedly.

"Why didn't you leave me at the doctor's?" Selim asked.

"We still felt like we owed you one," Marlin muttered. "Besides, we've grown a bit attached to you."

Bonnie snorted, but it sounded like she'd done so in good humor.

Selim didn't say anything, but the irony was not lost on him.

They rode for almost an hour before the train began to slow down. Marlin helped Selim to the door and held him as they jumped down. The plan was to buy tickets in town and head legally the rest of the way to Rush Valley or whatever their destination happened to be. Now that they weren't carrying an unconscious passenger, they would be far less memorable.

It wasn't too difficult to get into the station and thankfully to a bathroom. It was late, though, and no one was at the ticket window. Bonnie and Marlin argued for a few minutes as to whether they should stay there and wait or just hop the train again.

Selim was just thinking that all small train stations looked the same when exhaustion overtook him again.

xXx

It took him far too long to really wake up the next morning. It seemed his body was still recovering, but the bullet wound was healing nicely according to Bonnie (who apparently had some skill in that area). It still hurt immensely. Sleeping on the station bench again hadn't helped there either. No wonder humans avoided such trivial wounds. Selim was half tempted to just kill everyone right then and there, replenish his stone and have the wound healed in minutes. Then that stupid corner of his mind recoiled at the thought and outright refused to allow him to do so.

He grit his teeth as Bonnie wrapped the bandages tightly, half in annoyance at himself and half from the pain. They would put his left arm in a sling so the wound wouldn't become more agitated than it already had been. Apparently, he was also to try and refrain from using his other arm for fear of popping it out of place again. It ached in its own right, so he didn't argue

Thankfully Bonnie also carried some pain medication that helped a good deal. Perhaps humans weren't so completely useless after all.

He'd just swallowed the large pills when Marlin came back to the waiting room, swearing loudly.

"What is it?" Bonnie asked.

"We should have hitched a ride on the train last night," Marlin grumbled. "It'll be three days before another train comes south.

"I could have told you that," Selim muttered.

"You could have," Bonnie said as she tore the bandage and tied it off, "if you hadn't been the one to fall asleep last night. You were the reason we stayed, you know."

"A simple solution would have been to just carry me aboard," Selim pointed out with a frown. The last thing he wanted was to have these pathetic beings blame him for everything.

Marlin cut in. "You needed the sleep. And frankly, so did we," he shot Bonnie a pointed look. The Ishbalan raised an eyebrow at him but didn't say anything. "What's worse, though," Marlin continued, "is that there doesn't even seem to be an inn in this place. It's a farming town that doesn't have much use for outsiders."

"Fabulous. So what do we do?" Bonnie asked.

The older man sighed. "We find a nice farmer to put us up and help them out in payment for a few days. It's either that, we stay here at the station, or we start walking, but the next town is a good day's journey in either direction."

Selim rolled his eyes. Seriously, what had he been reduced to? Humiliating didn't begin to describe it.

Marlin, however, wasn't finished. "The good news is that we can put Selim on a train back up to East City when the train makes a return trip today. We just have to call your mother and let her know you're coming home. We can even take the train to the next town ourselves and see if we could get a room there."

Selim's face went neutral. "I can't do that," he said softly. "Falk, remember?" And Mustang and the whole of Amestris' army. Not that he could tell them that.

For the first time it struck him as to how bad the situation had become. He quite literally had no where to go. If he went back to central, the military would find him and undoubtedly kill him, especially if he went to see his mother. Where else could he go though? He had no friends or family that could (or would) help, and he couldn't even really leave the country. Being an Amestrian in just about any country besides Xing would be asking for trouble. The tension between countries right now was palpable and only a breath away from more outright war.

War which he actually had no wish to be apart of this time around, strangely enough.

"Well at least call her and work something out," Marlin insisted. "Let her know you're alright."

At first he opened his mouth to protest, but nothing came out. Then he closed his mouth thoughtfully. He wanted to call her. Actually, he was surprised at how much of him wanted to. It wasn't the smart thing to do; calling his mother could easily paint a target over his head that blared brighter than electric lights. Then again, he already had a target on his back anyway. Well, they'd know he was alive, and in Amestris (and that was if they were tapping his mother's phones because he doubted she'd say anything to the government about him…at least he hoped she wouldn't), but they wouldn't know exactly where he was. Besides, Selim desperately wanted to hear her voice and confirm for himself that she was alright. The Pride part of him felt that contacting her would be appropriate, if only because not calling her would make Bonnie and Marlin suspicious.

He most definitely didn't care about her. He didn't.

Sighing, he reached delicately for his shirt and began the painstakingly slow process of putting it on again. "Very well. Where is a phone?"

"Surprisingly it seems that there are several around here," the gray haired man said. "But all of them are privately owned. We'll have to ask to use one."

"How utterly depreciating," Selim muttered as he stood. Bonnie reached out to help him with his clothing, and he flinched away.

"Don't," he warned. Then, seeing the look on her face he forced himself to smile. "I would like to do it on my own."

Bonnie shrugged. "I can respect that. I'm going to throw these bandages away and wash my hands. I'll be back soon."

By the time she returned, he'd managed to get his shirt and coat on. Thankfully Mandy had asked that they keep an eye out for their bags and coats, and all four items had been returned before they'd left Xing. He hadn't bothered to tuck in his shirt as it hurt quite a bit to bend either of his arms to do so.

"Well," he said stiffly as Bonnie returned to the group and grabbed her supplies. "Shall we?"

Marlin and Bonnie exchanged glances. "Hey kid, we were wondering if you're alright? You sound…different than before."

"I am perfectly sound," Selim lied. They didn't have to know of his inner conflict. What could such incapable beings do? "I am assuming you got a list of places where we could locate a telephone?"

Marlin stared at him long and hard for several seconds before shrugging and standing up. "Sure do. Follow me."

Selim didn't like the idea of following anyone, but also didn't want to make a scene. It would make tracking him all that much easier.

They walked out of the station and onto what had to be the only paved road in whatever backwater town they'd landed in. In the distance he could see a cluster of houses that all seemed to be fairly new. As they approached, he could see a miniature market had been set up for the locals to come and sell their wares. It probably only happened once or twice a week, given the size of the town.

"The first place is just at the end of the street here, I think," Marlin muttered as they passed through the marginally busy market. Most people were holding quiet conversations as they bartered and traded their imperfect wares, and while everyone cast curious glances their way, no one seemed particularly interested. Good.

"It's market day," Bonnie muttered. "We'll be lucky to catch anyone at home before afternoon."

"Late afternoon," Marlin agreed.

"We could simply ask these…people," Selim pointed out, quickly changing the derogatory term he'd been about to use.

Marlin must have caught the disgust in his voice. "Don't be too hard on them. They're simple people living in a simple town. You won't find any of your Central upper class here."

It took a moment for Selim to realize that Marlin thought he was referring to the people of the town instead of the human race in general. So much the better. He hated having to rely on these two, but he also knew that they were the best chance he had at living through the weekend.

Once his arm healed, he could head off on his own and not worry about or rely on anyone else. Of course that brought up the whole idea of 'where' he could go a second time. He didn't like the thought of hiding in the woods like some sort of hermit at all. Just the suggestion of running way until he healed grated on his nerves, so he simply could not fathom doing so permanently. The problem was he also knew that even twenty years ago, when he'd been at full strength, taking on the entire military would be suicide, especially with people like Mustang at its head. He may have been many things, but stupid was not one of them.

Well, at least now that he'd gotten his memories back.

In front of him, Marlin stopped before the door to one of the few houses they'd come across and knocked loudly. After several minutes of waiting, they concluded that no one was home and moved onto the next one. Bonnie suggested they find the local businesses as they'd have to have phones. Marlin replied that he had started with the businesses. The place he'd just been was supposed to be something of a smithy. Glancing back over his shoulder, Selim could indeed see a small hovel in back of the house that looked as if it could be used as a very basic blacksmith. No smoke came out of the chimney.

It struck Selim just how small (but probably spread out) this little community was. A lot of it looked new but that didn't say much. It probably had a name that no one had ever heard of and wasn't even on a map. It was the kind of settlement where everyone had a little niche, and every family had their own trade. Newcomers had to make their own place and visitors tended to be extremely rare.

Selim sighed when he realized just how long this day was going to be.

Once again he considered killing and devouring Bonnie and Marlin to replenish his stone. It wasn't like anyone would know they'd gone missing. Of course, he'd have to make sure no one was watching if he did. He had to stay hidden until he had enough power to take on Mustang and the other State Alchemists. That would take more than a couple of lives.

No, he had to bide his time. He could be patient, and even endure this small but constant pain. He would wait and see what would happen and that was all there was to it.

He completely ignored the fact that he really didn't want to kill them either and refused to admit even to himself that he was making excuses.

xXx

"Brother!" Edward Elric nearly fell off of his chair at his younger brother's exclamation. He dropped the book he'd been reading and it slammed shut, probably bending a good deal of the pages and losing his place.

Cursing under his breath (a habit he'd picked up since getting married—no one swore aloud around Winry and got away unscathed), he stood quickly, shoving his office chair back and turned to glare at the door. He could hear Al's steps as he practically ran through the house. Honestly, what kind of deal did he find this time? Admittedly he was better than just about anyone Ed knew at bartering, but his exuberance over such finds could get bothersome. Ed frowned. Al tended to be excitable, but still, he hadn't been this worked up since before he'd gotten married.

The door burst open to reveal a panting man in his mid twenties with short, blond hair and round eyes that looked entirely too innocent on a person his age.

Immediately Ed knew something was wrong.

"What is it?" he asked. Then his own eyes widened. "Don't tell me…"

Al nodded. "I just saw him with two other people leaving the market. He didn't see me. At least I don't think he did."

The older blond swore aloud this time, grateful in the back of his mind that his wife wasn't there to hear his colorful vocabulary. Actually, he was glad she wasn't in Risembool at all. As soon as they'd received the call from Mustang about Pride evading them and possibly coming for revenge, they'd sent Mai, Winry and the kids to Rush Valley.

Ed, on the other hand, refused to leave Risembool to Pride. He was determined to do something if the homunculus was indeed coming after them. If they weren't there when Pride got there, Ed doubted they'd have a home to come back to…again. He didn't want Winry to lose her late grandmother's house.

When Al had heard his reasoning, he'd insisted on staying too. He hadn't needed to point out that Ed wouldn't be able to fight Pride as effectively without his alchemy, and the older blond had been far more than grateful. He had never regretted his choice to give that up, but that didn't stop him from longing for his old ability.

"Wait, you just left him there in the market?" Ed asked sharply. "What about the town? Did he look like he was coming in this direction?"

"Not really, actually. There were two other people there and they were going from house to house. They might have been guards of some sort."

"Where would he get money to hire guards?" Ed asked incredulously. "And why would he lower himself to do so. That makes no sense. Maybe he's with them because he can't use those shadows of his?"

Al shook his head. "I don't know. All I could tell is that one of his arms is bandaged and in a sling and it looks like he didn't want to move the other either."

Ed frowned. "He's not healing? He's had days since the incompetent general lost him. He's had plenty of time to gather more energy."

Al shrugged. "I don't know, and I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth, but either way he must be down to his last life again. It will make him desperate."

"And all the more dangerous," Ed nodded, stroking his chin thoughtfully. Absently he realized he hadn't shaved that morning, but brushed the thought to the side hurriedly.

"I wish we had more backup. Where are the men General Mustang sent?" Al wondered hurriedly. "Weren't they supposed to be here yesterday?"

Ed's eyes hardened immediately. "No clue. Don't care."

Al sighed. "Edward—" he started, but Ed cut him of.

"If I had my way, we wouldn't be having anything to do with that…" he paused, glancing around as if expecting to get caught. Then he took a breath when he confirmed that he and Al were alone in the room. "Besides," he muttered, continuing the train of thought—best not to get back into the habit, after all, "if we don't at least make an attempt to catch him, I'll never hear the end of it." He could feel a vein throbbing on his forehead.

"But Ed, you're not even in the military anymore. You won't have to listen to—"

"He'll find a way," Ed grumbled. "That son of a…" he stopped out of habit again, then decided that Mustang just wasn't worth finishing the sentence. Normally Al would push in a teasing comment about how Winry had him trained well, but the younger brother seemed to be far too distracted, so Edward continued. "He'll find a way to discredit me or publicly humiliate me if I don't do anything." Reaching into his closet, he brought out a large shotgun. It wasn't much, but it could do a lot of damage and it was better than nothing.

"Brother," Al tried again tiredly.

"Fine, you wait here, but I'm not going to let anyone get hurt just because we're not there," Edward said as he pushed past his brother determinedly.

Al simply sighed and fell into step behind him, saying something that sounded suspiciously like 'I thought you'd outgrown this.' Ed didn't answer, though. He'd been waiting for this day for fifteen years. Somehow, he'd known it would come. He'd known it when he'd handed the small form of what was left of Selim Bradley to his adoptive mother. He'd known and done it anyway, and as far as he was concerned, no one else was going to pay for that decision.

One hand trailed down to his metal leg, brushing the hard surface through the material of his pants. After all, Ed was in the habit of paying for his own mistakes.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I"m planning on more than 20 chapters, but I hit a bit of a writer's block around chapter 16 and had to stop for a while, so I may take a short hiatus, just as a warning. If I do, it will not be more than a few weeks. I would like to get this done and get onto more fics. :)
> 
> Please review. It really helps to know what you guys think, good or bad.
> 
> Sorry this took so long to put up. I've been a bit distracted. For a note, I have more of this story posted on FF.net and on Deviantart under Obi-quiet if you'd like to look it up on either one of those sites. :)


	15. Chapter 15

Marlin, Bonnie and Selim had just stepped onto the dirt road just outside of the white, picket fence around the fourth house they'd visited (again, no one was home, just as the two bounty hunters had predicted) when a sudden crackling light surrounded them.

"What the—" Marlin started but cut off when Bonnie grabbed his arm worriedly, drawing her gun. Then, before their eyes, the Earth around them began to rise into a dome, still buzzing with the bluish energy. Selim recognized it immediately: Alchemy.

In as many seconds, two memories came to Selim's mind. The first dealt with Mandy using a similar technique to separate him from Marlin after he'd been kidnapped. The second had happened fifteen years before when Alphonse Elric had tried to neutralize Pride's powers by trapping him in the dark.

A deep anger rushed through Selim and he immediately called for his shadows to slice through the walls. Thankfully the dome had been large, taking longer to make, even with the obvious skill of the alchemist. Funny, if they'd used a smaller trap, he probably wouldn't have reacted quickly enough before they'd sealed him. Their mistake. They'd been counting on his inability to use his shadows at a greater distance.

To his satisfaction and relief (he hadn't been a hundred percent sure his weakened shadows would reach the transmuted material, although - again - he would never admit it aloud), the walls around them crashed to the ground in great, stone blocks.

Beside him, Marlin and Bonnie blinked, trying to figure out what had just happened. They watched in bewilderment as he stepped between them and the two figures he could see just outside what was left of the dome. One of them had a large gun held loosely in both hands while the other squatted low, his hands on the ground.

"Why didn't you tell me this was Risembool?" Selim asked the two people behind him, although he didn't turn to look at them. It took Marlin a moment to realize he'd been addressed.

"I didn't think it was important," the large man answered finally. "Why would it be? What's going on?"

Slow, pathetic creatures. Why hadn't he killed them again?  Selim ignored the large man and took another step forward.

"Edward and Alphonse Elric," he practically spat.

"Wait," Bonnie spoke up, " _The_ Elric Brothers?"

"None other," Selim replied, trying to force his teeth to unclench—not that he didn't have good reason to be angry at the people standing so warily before them. They had ruined his life after all. Part of him felt hatred deeper than he had for even Mustang, especially towards the older of the two. The other part of him, that stupid human part that refused to be overthrown, felt a great deal of relief at seeing them. They could help answer questions like why he could have lived the way he did without knowing what he was and why he was aging when he shouldn't. He had never originally been human after all.

Of course it would only be when the questions he'd originally set out to ask were answered that he'd actually meet them; when part of him wanted to desperately take revenge and reassert his superiority. His life had been one huge ironic twist lately.

He couldn't decide what to do. Should he ask his questions, or simply attack them and try to end their miserable existence once and for all? Of course, that would be difficult, seeing his body was in such poor condition. He'd had problems with them at full strength.

Perhaps that was what bothered him the most. Just seeing them reminded him that these abhorrent, worthless creatures had beaten him. More importantly, they'd beaten Father (obviously or the country wouldn't have existed for the past fifteen years), and that _hurt_. Actually, that hurt far more than his realization that they'd defeated him and the rest of the homunculi. Then, to add insult to injury, they'd taken pity on him. _Him_! He didn't need their sympathy!

Oh yes, he could easily say that he despised the Elric brothers. Yet he could still recognize newer feelings that countered that hate; respect, nervousness, and even _gratitude_ of all things. Part of him felt _thankful_ for the actions of these repugnant vermin.

He wanted to sigh. The battle in his mind had begun to get very old.

Trying to push such feelings to the back of his mind, he continued to watch them, and they returned his scrutiny. It took him a moment to realize that they had yet to make another move because they were waiting for him. Waiting for him to what? To try and attack them? He had considered it (it wasn't like he could keep his identity hidden anymore) but he still didn't want to use his shadows extensively while his body was still healing.

Finally Alphonse (he assumed it was Alphonse, despite the fact that he'd never before seen the boy's human body) stood up, eying Selim curiously. "You didn't know you were in Risembool?" he asked as if finally realizing he'd missed something earlier.

"No," Selim replied.

"And if you had known?" Edward asked. Selim grit his teeth. He didn't want this person who looked so much like Father to speak to him at all. Also, he didn't know what to say. Pride would have wanted to tear over to their residences and rip their worlds down around them. Selim would have wanted to ask to meet with them. Surprisingly, still a third part of him would have wanted to avoid the confrontation altogether.

Instead of answering, he looked back at Alphonse. "I see you got your body back."

The man's own jaw clenched, as did Edward's. Not surprisingly it was the older brother who answered. "We see you got your memories back."

" _Despite your precautions_ ," Selim growled. He heard Bonnie gasp behind him, but paid them no heed. He knew he'd spoken in Pride's multiple voice, but he didn't care. The Elrics also tensed at his words, and he took some satisfaction from that.

Then he realized that he had a question both sides of him wanted to ask…badly. It took every ounce of willpower he possessed to take a deep breath and calm down. Scaring them more wouldn't encourage them to answer him. Then he glanced up, trying not to glare too hard at Edward. Judging from the shift in the long-haired man's stance, he didn't succeed very well, but he had to know.

"Why?"

The two brothers exchanged glances for the briefest of seconds. It would have been enough to attack them, and they knew it, but Selim didn't call the shadows to move. He wanted to know too much.

"Why what?"

"Why did you let me live? I was at your mercy. You could have killed me— _should_ have killed me! Mustang killed Lust and I'm assuming Envy from what he said on the train." There was a flinch from Edward that shouldn't have been there. Selim took note but decided to address it later and continued. "I absorbed Gluttony, and that leaves three of my brothers and Father. I have no doubt both of you had your hand in taking out a good deal of them." A new question poked into his mind and his lips thinned at the thought. "Are they all dead?"

It wasn't as if he really expected them to tell him if any of the other homunculi still lived. The look on their faces, however, didn't leave any doubt in his mind that they were telling the truth when they spoke.

"Scar killed Wrath," Alphonse said softly. "He's lucky he survived the encounter." Selim couldn't agree more. Of all the other Homunculi, Wrath would have been the biggest threat what with his all-seeing-eye and insanely superior skill in combat. He didn't say anything though, mainly because it infuriated him that the Ishbalan had lived when Wrath hadn't.

"Fuehrer and General Armstrong beat Sloth," the younger brother continued.

"And Greed?"

He'd met Ling and knew the man hadn't still been Greed's vessel, but he wanted to know what had happened.

They shot each other another uncertain glance before looking back at him.

"I killed him when I killed your father," Edward responded.

Another flare of anger and hatred surged through him, but he fought it down. He'd never cared for Greed or Envy or any of the others really…so why did it bother him now? He ignored the confusing emotions and forced his face into something more neutral as he glared at the blonds.

"That would be after you eliminated my threat," he managed to growl, although he was proud of the fact that he had enough control to use his human voice. "Speaking of, you have yet to answer my question. Why didn't you kill me? I wouldn't have hesitated in your position, so why?"

"Your mother," Edward said finally, his voice soft. "She would have lost both her son and her husband if I'd killed you. She's a good woman and, I suspected, completely innocent. I couldn't do that to her—take her child away from her like that."

Selim straightened, blinking. The depth of human stupidity and their weakness for compassion never ceased to astound him. His anger soared to new heights. He was alive because of his relation to a human; because someone had taken pity on that. The realization grated on what little control he had left.

At the same time, the gratefulness he felt towards the duo also increased. They had spared his mother a good deal of pain and given her a reason to live after all that had happened. Even the part of him that was Pride had looked up to her. She'd been so different from all of his previous 'parents'.

"You are so weak," he muttered. "It's repulsive. So why do I want to thank you? How have I to become so weak in less than two decades?" He grit his teeth and turned his glare back to the older brother. "Is this something you did to me, Edward Elric? Something you left me with the night you allowed just one soul to remain in my stone? The night you took my entire life away from me?" The last sentence held as much accusation has he could put into it. He felt he had to blame someone, even if he didn't expect the accused to feel guilty.

Edward snorted and rolled his eyes. "No. I only left you with enough power to survive. I didn't take or leave anything else."

Truthfully, that was the last thing Selim wanted to hear. He wanted to yell out that Edward was lying—deceiving him, but he knew that wasn't the case. After all, what would his purpose be? Demoralization maybe? No, Selim knew he had spoken truth again.

His weakness was his own.

And oh, it almost _killed_ him to admit even to himself.

"And where did the rest of the souls you took from me go?" he asked, hoping he didn't sound desperate.

Behind him, Bonnie gasped again. He'd almost forgotten they were there. He'd have a lot of explaining to do when this was over.

Edward shrugged. "Beats me."

Pride sincerely doubted that. Of course, yet again he hadn't really expected an answer, but still. His eyes narrowed and he scrutinized the blond that so reminded him of his own father for several seconds, almost as if he were trying to gain the secret from his human mind.

It didn't work. He couldn't puzzle out where all of his energy had gone. Had Edward stored and kept the souls inside of him? He didn't act like he had to tune out a large amount of voices, and certainly only looked like a normal human, but then, so had Hoenheim. Still, Selim couldn't sense anything off about him.

Actually, he couldn't really sense anything at all. Even through his anger he realized how strange that was. Every alchemist had a certain feel to them, something different than a normal human. Father had told him it was because of Pride's innate ability to sense the gate of truth in people, and why he alone could force that gate open, even though homunculi couldn't use alchemy themselves. He could still feel that in Alphonse's presence, but he couldn't with Edward. Had his sensing skills really become that weak?

After a few seconds, his eyes fell slightly, lingering on the shotgun in Edward's hands. That also struck him as odd. Why would he bring such a weapon? It wasn't his style. Selim doubted that would have changed in the fifteen years since the Promised Day. To humans, guns often equated killing. Edward had avoided using lethal force on many occasions and no matter what he'd gone through, that hadn't ever changed or Selim himself would not have survived.

An echo of another mind brushed his thoughts. Yes, Edward had told Kimbley they wouldn't use lethal force now that he thought about it. He had absorbed the man's memories after all. Even if Edward had altered that aspect of his personality, he had to know that a shotgun would do little more than distract Selim as the bullets wouldn't get past his shadows' shields.

Then Selim's gaze settled on the bare flesh of Edward's right arm. It should have been automail. So Alphonse's body hadn't been the only thing returned. Briefly he wondered about Edward's automail leg, but ultimately decided it didn't matter.

What did matter was the fact that Alphonse had his body while Edward had his arm and a gun. The latter still didn't make sense, though. Selim still couldn't figure out why he would he use something like that unless…. His eyes widened as he put two and two together.

"You can't use alchemy," he said suddenly. The brothers' posture had been loose and ready. At his words, they immediately tensed, and it was all the answer Pride needed. "That's what you gave up to get his body back!" A grin made its way across his face. "Impressive. I honestly didn't expect you to figure it out. Tell me, was it worth it?"

"Absolutely," Edward snarled instantly. Beside him, Alphonse gained an expression of sad guilt and looked down.

Pride's grin widened. "And you're not jealous that your little brother got off scott free while you're stuck with a…less than extraordinary life? You don't even have the means to really protect yourself anymore!"

"News flash, Pride," Edward growled. Selim noted that that was the first time he'd used the name. "I never wanted an extraordinary life. I only wanted my friends and family to be happy."

"Really? Your rather…boisterous actions from your youth would speak otherwise. Did you even know the meaning of the word 'subtle'?"

"We were children," Alphonse broke in, shaky but determined. "We did the best we could. That was all."

Oh, there were so many places he could take that! Everywhere from them using useless excuses to how pathetic their 'best' had been while the answer had been in front of them the whole time. It would have only taken just one more sacrifice on Edward's part, but he hadn't been able to, probably until it had become utterly necessary.

He saw exactly what he could do with that conversation. It would be so easy to verbally tear them down into shivering piles of flesh, but before he could even open his mouth, a shadow fluttered over his mind, stopping him. It was a nagging doubt that said it wouldn't be the right thing to do; that he'd already taken it too far. He glowered inwardly at himself. Perhaps it wasn't right from a human stand point, but he'd always been above that.

Or had he?

The frustration at his inner conflict grew again. He hated being frustrated.

"What's the matter, Pride?" Edward asked. "Nothing to say?"

Selim rolled his eyes. "I didn't feel your pathetic sob story was even worth a comment."

"You're the one that brought it up," the long-haired man said with a frown.

"My apologies," Selim replied sarcastically.

They sat there for several seconds staring at each other. Then Alphonse glanced uneasily over at Edward before stepping forward slightly.

"So, what now?"

Selim returned the older brother's frown and didn't answer. He still couldn't decide and he doubted they'd just let him walk away.

"Well," he said finally, "you could run home and call your precious general." He took a vindictive pleasure when he saw Edward scowl. So he and Mustang still didn't get along, he noted.

"And you would just let us? As if you don't want to take your revenge?" Edward asked skeptically.

"Oh I do. It's just that I would prefer to avoid a fight at the moment." He glanced down at his bandaged hands and the sling. Not that such conditions would seriously handicap him. It actually had more to do with his stamina when it came to his shadows, but they didn't need to know that.

"What, afraid to fight now that you can't heal so quickly?" Edward scoffed.

"Forgive me for not taking your example and turning suicidal," Selim returned dryly.

"You realize we can't just let you go," Alphonse said softly.

Inwardly, Selim sighed. Yes, he'd realized that. It didn't help his indecision. "Marlin, Bonnie," he said, still refusing to take his eyes off of the Elrics, "you may want to head back to the station now."

"After a conversation like that?" Marlin asked incredulously. "Just what is going on?"

"Remember how Clemin said I was a monster?" Selim asked softly, calling to his shadows in the back of his mind. They rose out of the ground around him like black tentacles, shivering with anticipation. "It turns out he was right."

It must have been a sight to see him standing there with his monstrous shadows because both Bonnie and Marlin stood staring with gaping mouths and pale faces at the scene. He refused to turn around. For some reason he could not fathom, he simply couldn't stomach the idea of facing them, so he kept his eyes on the Elrics, watching the mercenaries that had accompanied him through one of his shadows' eyes. For a moment he considered taking them hostage, but in the long run doubted it would make much difference. It wasn't that he didn't want them hurt, he told himself. And he most certainly did not care about their well being at all.

"M-monster?" Marlin said shakily. Selim tried to hide his flinch. Hearing him say the word didn't exactly help his state of mind at the moment. Even as Pride he'd never considered himself a monster. He'd reserved that label for weak, power-hungry humans.

It felt like a stalemate with the tension filled atmosphere loaded and ready to break at any second. No one seemed to want to make the first advance.

Then the person Selim least expected anything from moved. He watched through his shadow's eye in surprise as platinum blond strode purposefully past him, positioned herself between him and the Elrics, and faced him with folded arms and an unimpressed expression.

"Monster, huh?" she asked. "You know if you would have told me that even a week ago, I'd have believed you. The way you spoke to me on that first day didn't sit right with me, but let me tell you what I've noticed since then:

"You are a spoiled brat."

Selim bristled, but she continued before he could say anything. "You're used to a soft life filled with wealth. Despite that, you were naïve enough to do everything you could to keep other people out of danger." Selim frowned, remembering how he had indeed asked them to leave Mandy alone when they'd been cornered in New Optain, and how he'd gone to Xing to try and get answers. His intent at the time had been to control his power and the voice in his head so that he wouldn't hurt people around him.

Of course that hadn't been the only reason he'd gone on his little adventure. He opened his mouth to say as much, but Bonnie plowed on.

"You're intelligent and calculating and one of the only people I've ever met who would walk into a dangerous situation to save a stranger."

The train, Selim realized. "That was my fault to begin with."

"So? You still risked your life to save that man and paid for it from what I heard. How long did it take for you to recover? Days?"

He didn't really have anything to refute that, but he couldn't find himself quite able to accept her words. Face grim, he wiled one of his shadows forward. It complied, stopping just in front of her eyes. She paled and took a step back despite her words. Her reaction was less than encouraging.

"Take a good look at this—at what I can do," he said softly. "I'm an artificial being created with alchemy. Did you know that? I'm not even human." He snickered mirthlessly at the comment. He still couldn't decide whether he liked or hated that fact, but that was beside the point for the moment. He went on, leaning forward for emphasis. "And I've killed people. Hundreds of people. I killed and _ate_ my own brother! Do you remember the day fifteen years ago when every person in the entire country collapsed? I played a large part in that whole incident! I almost helped destroy Amestris and was disappointed when I found our carefully laid plan had failed! I've manipulated and blackmailed people for decades at a time and I _still_ find myself looking down on all of you pathetic weaklings that infest the face of this miserable planet!

"Now look at all of that and tell me I'm not a monster."

Her eyes had widened, and she looked extremely unsteady, but then her expression hardened with determination and she stood straight. Behind her, Edward and Alphonse had begun to advance, probably coming to her rescue, but at her reaction they stopped, looking on warily.

"We all have our pasts, Selim," she said, voice firm but soft. "Some worse than others. The thing is, just a few days ago I saw a boy forgiving and thanking his would-be kidnappers as they tried to escape possible custody. You didn't dwell on the fact that we'd put you in danger, or the fact that we had indeed meant you harm. You didn't even acknowledge what kinds of inconveniences we'd caused you, or the worry that we'd given your family by our actions.

"Monsters don't do that. Maybe you were a monster at one time, Selim, but you're not now."

The world seemed to slow around them as he stared at the Ishbalan, mind blank. He hadn't moved his shadow, but she refused to back down, standing there expectantly, arms still folded firmly in front of her.

"That boy you knew had fifteen years of experience," Selim said softly. "The monster has over three hundred. Once I regained those memories Selim Baker was doomed. How long do you think the conflict will last? And which one do you honestly think will win?"

Bonnie shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly - as if she actually knew what was going on (which Selim _highly_ doubted). "Dunno. The thing you're overlooking is the fact that there _is_ a conflict. I don't know how bad it is, you're pretty good at hiding it, but you just admitted that it's there. Fifteen vs. three hundred, you say? Why hasn't the three-hundred-year-old monster won yet? Seems to me that that side should have completely annihilated Selim already."

He was surprised she'd caught on so quickly. He hadn't even really explained half of the situation and she'd grasped it surprisingly well. For a human, that was.

"I don't know," he heard himself say, unable to keep the frustration from his voice. "It makes no sense to me. Pride should have overwhelmed Selim. There's no contest. Selim is weak, and Pride is strong. Selim is _human_. That in and of itself should say everything. So why isn't he gone? Why does he still influence me just as much as Pride does? It shouldn't be this way and I don't know why it is."

He felt almost naked—completely defenseless standing there in broad daylight. Part of him just wanted to curl up in a corner with a blanket and hide, while the side of him that was Pride wanted to tear everything around him into pieces in his embarrassment and anger.

"I'm so tired of not knowing," he muttered wearily, closing his eyes for a moment. When he opened them a few seconds later, he caught sight of the Elrics again—still standing there warily—and his eyes narrowed.

Bonnie followed his gaze and turned to look at them.

"You asked 'what now'," she said. "Now I'll ask you the same question. You won't let him go…"

Edward shook his head and Alphonse sighed. "I don't think you quite understand how irresponsible of us that would be. He's dangerous."

"So are you," she returned.

"Al's not going to try to kill anyone any time soon."

"Selim hasn't killed anyone recently."

"No, but he tried to kill Major General Mustang," Alphonse said in that quiet tone that refused to waver. Sometimes Selim thought the quieter of the two could easily be the scariest. "And all of his men."

Selim saw Bonnie's mouth thin from the side, and then she turned back to look at him. He couldn't meet her eyes. It took him a moment to realize that he was ashamed. He—the physical embodiment of pride—regretted his actions. Well, somewhat. He still felt a smoldering hate for the Major General.

His reaction was all the answer she needed. "So what happens if he goes with you quietly?"

Selim answered that himself. "They'll kill me."

"What?" Bonnie asked.

He raised his eyes to meet hers. "I'm too dangerous to keep around. Less than two decades ago, I almost destroyed the country. They won't allow me to live. Either that or they'll lock me up in a pitch-black room with no light and no contacts…if I'm lucky."

She glanced back at the brothers. "Is this true?"

Alphonse looked troubled, but Edward refused to back down. "It isn't our concern," he said. "But I refuse to let him go free when he's already killed hundreds of innocent people."

Selim wanted to flinch. Pride wanted to gloat.

Bonnie glanced at Selim for conformation, and again he refused to meet her eyes. All of him hated the shame he felt once again. Pride wanted to deny he felt any shame. Out of the corner of his view, he saw the bounty hunter look back and forth between Selim and the Elrics for several seconds, obviously trying to work something out.

"I don't get it," she said finally. "You all are describing a horrible, despicable being," Selim bristled again, looking up at her angrily. Homunculi weren't despicable! Humans were! Weren't they? "But all I've ever met is a completely normal teenager with very good qualities. Conflict or not, how can we be talking about the same person?

"Either you're the most incredible actor in the world," she nodded to Selim, "or both of you are wrong."

"We're not wrong," Edward insisted.

Simultaneously, Selim spoke softly. "I wasn't acting."

Bonnie put a hand up to the bridge of her nose and began to massage it, saying something under her breath that sounded like 'stupid, egotistical males'. Selim found it funny that her comment about his gender didn't nearly bother him as much as the comments about his race.

After a few minutes, she rounded on Selim. "Alright, you say you killed people. Do you regret it?"

Selim blinked. "What?"

"Those _humans_ you killed three hundred years ago or whatever it was. Do you regret it?"

Yet again, his mind ground to a halt and he couldn't even seem to formulate an answer. Did he regret it? He could remember almost every face, if only because Pride had enjoyed their expressions of horror and pain. It sickened him.

"I-I don't know," he said again, hating how unsure he sounded. "Part of me does. Part of me hates who I used to be and is completely disgusted by it. How could I have ever treated life so carelessly? But part of me…" he felt a slight grin come over his face, and felt himself grow even more disgusted inside because of it. "Part of me would do it all again in a heartbeat. Part of me can't help but think that humans are a disgusting blight and that the world would be better off without them.

"Can you imagine anyone thinking like that?" He realized that his voice had gained just the slightest touch of hysteria. "I can't, but I am. How can that be?" The stirrings of a migraine began to rise in the back of his head. He'd known it was only a matter of time before the warring personalities that constituted his current state of mind began to take a physical toll. Of course, it would come at a time like this.

The older woman sighed again and leaned back with a grim expression. "You're not making this easy, you know."

He chuckled wryly under his breath. "I thought you could talk your way out of anything."

She shot a sharp glance his way. "Who told you that?"

He thumbed over his shoulder to where Marlin was standing quietly, suddenly seeming uncomfortable under her gaze. Funny, hadn't she been there at the time he'd told Mandy and Selim that? The memory seemed fuzzy and inconsequential next to everything else, so the homunculus dismissed the thought and watched Marlin fidget through his shadows. That's when he realized that perhaps having them waving around in mid-air like that might not be a good thing. They'd already been out for several minutes.

He felt the stirrings of panic rise within him. He hadn't used them a great deal, but he was afraid it would still take a toll on his body. Slowly, he began to retract them, hoping to conserve energy but afraid he was already too late.

"Selim, do you think you could win in a fight against them?" Bonnie asked as she gestured to the Elrics, voice low enough that only he could hear.

He blinked, surprised. "What do you mean?"

She took a preparatory breath and continued in the same tone. "I don't know exactly what the deal with those black things are," she nodded to the retreating shadows, "but if you think you can take them, we can make a run for it."

He was so shocked he dropped his connection to his shadows completely and they all shot back into the ground. As always, he felt the draw on his body's energy most when he released his hold on his powers, and couldn't help but stagger. It wasn't as bad as it had been, just sudden—like that first night on the train.

"Selim?" Bonnie asked worriedly. It was the first real expression he figured he'd seen on her face, and couldn't help but feel touched, even as the Pride side of him scoffed at such a pathetic, useless display.

"I'm fine," he muttered, glancing past her and at the Elrics, who seemed to be in the middle of their own heated discussion. "I don't know if I can. My shadows take a lot of energy to maintain. Without more energy in my stone, the odds are stacked against me."

"You've mentioned that before. What is this stone? Is there a way to get more energy to it?"

Selim snorted. Her reaction to this should be interesting. "My body is maintained by a philosopher's stone. Philosopher's stones consist of living, human souls. The only way I can replenish the energy is to kill people and absorb their life force. It's what maintains my own."

She blanched again and brought a hand to her mouth.

Then she lowered it to reveal tight, thin lips. "You were planning on killing us, weren't you." She didn't say it as a question.

He looked down. "The thought had crossed my mind."

It seemed he'd finally gotten the nature of his very being across to her. Well, that was a good thing, wasn't it? Disgusted and horrified, she and Marlin would finally leave and he could concentrate on—

"Why didn't you?"

He froze. "Why didn't I what?"

"You had plenty of time to kill us and I'm guessing from what you said earlier that it would have completely healed you. No one would have noticed if you had, so why didn't you?"

He could only blink at her, knowing the answer but unwilling to say it. He didn't want to admit it. He _really_ didn't want to admit it. Yet another blow to his pride that he'd been trying to avoid.

Finally he forced himself to answer. "I don't know, okay! I don't know why I didn't kill you, I just couldn't! Just like I couldn't kill Mandy; stupid, pathetic weakling that she is! She got in the way and I stopped and I don't know why! It shouldn't be like this, and it's _killing_ me! I am two separate people who have almost nothing in common and it's made me weaker than all of you!"

He stood there with his fists clenched, entire body shaking with anger and frustration. His weakness disgusted him more and more with every passing second. It was almost as if he didn't have any pride anymore.

Did he? Did he even deserve his name now?

Oh, Father would be so disappointed.

"Humility isn't weakness," Al said, pulling Selim out of his depressive thoughts. What had brought that thought on?

"What do you mean?" he asked, wishing he didn't sound so dull and lifeless, but unable to muster the energy to respond differently. "Of course it is."

"Why?"

Selim blinked. Were they really that stupid? Wasn't it obvious?

Was it obvious?

"When you have no pride, you have no motivation," he said finally, carefully tip-towing around every word. He'd never had to voice it before. It felt strange.

"That's not completely true," Alphonse said.

"Oh?" Pride scoffed. "You two fought because of your pride in your family. I'm assuming that's why you're still fighting. You got it from your father. He had that pride too." Edward opened his mouth to protest, but Selim kept going. "Greed's container and that little Xingese girl had pride in their clans and countries." Surprisingly enough Alphonse tensed up at that. Pride hadn't even realized there was a soft spot there. He noted that for possible use later. "Mustang has pride in his alchemy and office. Hawkeye has pride in her superior officer, as do most of the Colonel—I mean General's lackeys.

"Everyone who fights has pride."

He expected outbursts, protests and all sorts of arguments that he could work with. Alphonse seemed ready to jump in for once, angry expression twisting his innocent features.

Strangely enough, it was Edward who seemed to remain calm. Sighing, he lowered his gun and raised a hand to rub at the back of his head. He almost seemed disappointed.

Selim scowled. "You disagree?" He wouldn't let them know how much their little switching act had thrown him off balance. They had always been such a constant before…

"You really don't get it, do you," Edward muttered, just loud enough for Selim to hear. He didn't say it as a question.

Pride didn't answer, frown deepening.

Alphonse turned to stare in incredulity at his brother for a moment. Then his face melted back into its normal, neutral state.

Pride knew he'd missed something.

"It's not pride," Edward said as if reading Selim's mind.

"What is it then?" he scoffed. Neither one of them answered. Then something clicked, and Pride couldn't help a condescending chuckle. "Sentiment again? Love? Foolish humans. Love is just another form of pride."

"You're wrong."

Surprisingly enough, that hadn't come from either of the brothers. Actually, it had come from behind him. Surprised, Selim turned and glanced at Marlin.

He cleared his throat and spoke again. "I just have to say it. Love is the opposite of pride. Pride is selfish, and sometimes rightly earned. Love—real love—is selfless and completely unpredictable. You'll do what's best for the other person, no matter what. There are all types of love and all types of pride, and sometimes they overlap. But they're not the same by any stretch of the imagination."

Okay, hearing that come from a man that big was just strange.

Selim opened his mouth to say just that, when a new voice called out in the distance.

"Sir! I found them!" Everyone turned to see several men in blue suits come marching over a lip in the road some distance away. One man, probably a scout of some sort, was waving to them as they caught up to him. At that point another, all too familiar man took the lead. A tall man with short, dark blond, spiky hair.

Selim felt his features tense angrily. That was one of Mustang's men. Havoc, if he remembered correctly. Yes, he was the man Lust had supposedly 'taken care' of.

"There you two are!" he called with a wave. "Sorry we're so late. We got stalled leaving New Optain because of the new FFO situation. Then we got lost."

 _How could anyone possibly get lost in a farm town like Risembool?_ Selim found himself wondering. Then he realized what their arrival meant: Reinforcements. He might have been able to hold his own against Edward and Alphonse, especially if only the latter could use Alchemy. He couldn't do so against so many men in this kind of an open space. He could try and keep a shield up while they escaped, but then what? He couldn't hold one up indefinitely, especially not in his condition, and he had no doubt the soldiers would be able to follow easily.

Then his mind caught something else about the same time as the Elrics.

"What new situation?" Alphonse asked worriedly, turning to look at the approaching men. Apparently they hadn't recognized Selim yet. He thought about taking the opportunity to get away, but Edward refused to look anywhere but at Pride. Not surprising, but highly inconvenient.

"Oh, you haven't heard? We managed to evacuate most of Central, but apparently the FFO got wind of it and decided it made a good target. They've been…"

He froze, finally seeming to recognize Selim. He looked rather comical, standing there with his mouth open, cigarette almost dropping out of it. Then he raised his weapon, swearing loudly. His men followed suit, minus the language.

"You finally noticed, Havoc?" Edward called over his shoulder.

"What's going on, Fullmetal?"

"That's not my name anymore."

A pause. "Sorry, Ed."

Edward shrugged. "We ran across Pride."

"I can see that," Havoc snapped. "What's going on?"

"He's down to one life in his stone still," Alphonse supplied. "So he heals like a normal human. In his condition," the blond glanced back at Selim with hard, blue eyes, "he can't fight much."

"'He' is also right here," Selim heard himself growl. "And I can fight. Want to test me?" he glanced over at Havoc. "I could easily put you back in that wheelchair if I so desired."

He couldn't help the swell of satisfaction that came with Havoc's suddenly pale face and narrowed eyes.

"Hold it!" Bonnie said, stepping forward again. She shot a glare at Selim. "You aren't making your situation any easier. Do you _want_ them to kill you? This is the military we're talking about. They're not exactly saints and they don't need much provocation."

Havoc grit his teeth, but didn't say anything. Selim scowled, but backed down. It felt like someone had punched his gut to do so, but he swallowed the feeling, albeit with some difficulty.

"And as for you all," she turned and glared firmly, not seeming to care that she now stared down the barrels of at least five rifles. "Until you came in, we were making some progress here. My recommendation is to stuff it and keep your ugly mouths shut until we can figure this out! Got it?"

"And just who are you?" Havoc returned. "And why should we listen to you?"

Bonnie's mouth thinned. "We're friends of his."

Edward's frown deepened. "He doesn't have friends," he practically growled.

"Will you get over yourself?" Bonnie practically exploded. Edward blinked and straightened with surprise. "We get it! You hate him! He did bad things! He's dangerous! But that does not give anyone here the right to kill him!"

"We have been given permission to use lethal force," one of the lackeys that Selim didn't know said.

Havoc shot him a glare and he backed down.

Bonnie scoffed, her face falling into a despising glare. "That is something I would expect from the government. On the face of it, you're all just and fair, but in actuality, nothing has changed. All of you are just like you claim he is," she pointed back to Selim who happened to be just as surprised as everyone else there. Perhaps more so. He'd never heard anything like that come from the false blond.

"We're not backing down." Marlin said, coming to stand by her. Selim found himself suddenly uneasy. He could tell where this was going, and he knew it would not end well. These two were in the habit of standing against the government whenever and however they could. He'd known that before, but he could see it now: they hated the military almost as much as Pride did. Their eyes held a defiant, dangerous glitter that Selim could only barely see from his angle, but it was there.

Yet again, he found himself at a decision he couldn't seem to make. One thing was for sure, he did not want them caught in the middle of his fight. All of him agreed with that, but he wasn't concerned for them. He most certainly wasn't worried about how they might get hurt because of this. He just wasn't…was he? Part of him screamed 'no', while the other side firmly stated 'yes'.

What surprised him, though, was that the calmer, human side was stronger this time…just barely, but enough that even he could tell.

"Stop!" he yelled. Bonnie and Marlin turned to look at him with confusion.

"What?" Marlin asked.

"Don't get in the way," he muttered, feeling his cheeks heat up with embarrassment. He hated feeling embarrassed. It usually meant his ego had taken another blow. He really wouldn't have any of his pride left by the time he was done. That scared him; it was all he had left…but that same pride wouldn't allow him to back down now.

"What do you mean, 'get in the way'?" Bonnie asked angrily.

Selim shot a glare at her. "I'm not some martyr for your cause or some wronged being you need to protect. Technically I'm older than every single being here combined and truthfully I deserve their distrust. Those two have personal reasons to hate me as much as I hate them," he nodded at the Elrics, then turned his glare to Havoc. "And my sister crippled him. I'm surprised he can walk at all." And there wasn't any begrudging respect in that either! Aarg!

It had become a difficult chore to keep his face neutral.

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and as calmly as he could, considered his options. One: He could fight. It was his preferred reaction but if he tried to attack in his condition, he had very little chance of survival. It bothered him that such an outcome would have any merit to him. Two: He could run. The problem in this lay with the fact that he'd be unable to run for long, again due to his physical condition. This option also had a high possibility of failure, and if he had to die, he would not run away like a cowardly human. Three: He could turn himself in. He hated giving in at all, but if he did so, it could buy him at least a day while having the added benefit of giving him more time to recover.

He already knew which option he would choose. That didn't mean he had to like it. Gritting his teeth, he moved past the two bounty hunters.

"If I go with you," he said as neutrally as he could, "I have three conditions. One, let them go. They have nothing to do with this. Two, I wish to speak to my mother when we return. She will be given unlimited access to whatever containment I will be committed to." He didn't add the 'as long as they keep me alive' that everyone knew was tacked onto the end of the sentence. "Three, we wait for the normal train back to New Optain. You create whatever arrangements you feel will be necessary for travel and containment, but it will be on that train." Which meant he'd end up in the dark again, but he was proud of the fact that he'd lengthened the original amount of he'd thought he could buy himself off the top of his head like that.

"And where are we supposed to keep you now?" Edward asked, bristling.

Selim shrugged. "You work out whatever you wish, but I will not attempt to escape whatever prison you come up with."

Edward scoffed. "Like we'll believe you."

"I didn't expect you to. Do we have a deal?"

"Yes," Havoc said, stepping forward. "We can construct a temporary containment at the Elrics, correct?" He nodded at Alphonse who returned the gesture firmly. "Just know that if you try anything, we will use lethal force."

"Of course," the homunculus wanted to roll his eyes, but felt he'd already lost enough dignity as it was. Havoc gestured for his men to surround Selim, who didn't move. He kept his eyes focused on Edward's, glaring with as much disdain and disgust that he could manage.

"Selim," Bonnie spoke, sounding both disappointed and confused, "you don't have to do this."

"I'm not doing this for you," he said as coldly as he could. "I'm doing this because it's the best option for me." He knew the truth though. He'd only considered his options because they'd gotten in his way, and was doing this for them as much as he was for himself.

They didn't answer. He knew they continued to watch him as the small contingent of army men marched down the road, rifles at ready. He hoped they'd take the chance he'd given them to get out of this mess now. With the way the situation had developed he wasn't sure he would still care enough to save them later.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! Long chapter, but I hope it lived up to expectations. ^^;
> 
> I only have one chapter after this written...and it's not even completely done. . . . So, I'm going to try and get that chapter done for next week, but no promises. After that, I'm pretty definitely going to take a hiatus. A lot of that is because I'm going to be looking for a new job. ^^; Wish me luck.


	16. Chapter 16

He didn't want to admit how much the darkness still scared him; not nearly as much as before, but it still held an edge in his subconscious that refused to leave. At least he had some light this time—more or less a pin prick, but it was better than nothing—and he could use his shadows if he had to although they wouldn't be too strong until he got more light inside the dome, it was better than nothing.

He smiled to himself. It really hadn't been that difficult to trick the military dogs, and surprisingly enough, the Elrics as well.

As he'd suspected, as soon as they'd reached the old, yellow house that the Elrics (or at least Edward from what he could tell) lived in, Alphonse had used alchemy to create another dome and then they'd practically shoved him inside. All it had taken to undermine their efforts had been a little stalling by shooting glares and a few insults at people and then a subtle shadow manipulation to puncture the dome before all light had been cut off.

The hole didn't give much light, but he didn't want to make it bigger as it would be more noticeable from the outside. He'd considered making a few more such holes in the ceiling of the dome, but that would also be difficult to conceal when they came to feed him. He wasn't about to discourage that either. His recently returned memories held several instances when he'd held prisoners. If such a thought like feeding had occurred to him, he would ignore it in favor of exacting a bit more torture unless instructed otherwise. He was glad the Elrics weren't that exact in their revenge. After all, in this form, he still needed to eat to survive.

Once they'd sealed him in, he'd felt secure enough to force himself to relax somewhat. That had been two days ago as far as he could tell. The only person he'd seen since then had been Alphonse, who hadn't spoken a word. It seemed he was the only person they trusted to bring food and take the remaining dishes from the previous meal away.

It irked Selim that he could have escaped at any time and hadn't, but he really needed the time to heal. To get away, he would have to physically run, which wouldn't help him much. He knew what his body needed, and that had been part of the reason why he'd promised to not try and escape to begin with. If he stayed right under the Elric's noses, they wouldn't be tracking him down through some forest or mountainous region that they knew far better than he ever would as he pushed his body to escape. No, staying here would be prudent, especially when he could use the time that bought to try and speed his healing along.

Over three centuries of existence had given him the opportunity to explore many things. He knew how energy ran through all things (a part of what gave alchemists their power), and even if he could never perform alchemy like Father could, he could direct his own flow of energy somewhat and even dictate what that energy would do to a small extent.

The thing was, his original form had been more or less a sort of shell; a construct that housed his powers and shadows, which in turn protected his true form. When Edward had handed said true form over to Selim's mother, he'd no longer had that protection. His body now was what it would have been had he been fed and nurtured as a human in his true infancy.

So many questions had arisen in his mind when he'd realized that, even as he directed the new flow of energy to encourage the skin to knit across his wounds. Would his directing his body to heal work? It had before, but not only had the very energy flow felt different, but it had also taken souls to heal and regenerate. All of his energy now was his own, and there wasn't a lot of it. Without a fully functioning philosopher's stone, the best he could do was marginally accelerate the process. He was grateful that the bullet had merely passed through his shoulder, doing minimal damage as he could have easily lost his arm (or his life). Even if he could manage to heal faster, he was sure it wouldn't go so far as regeneration in his current state.

One thing about his new, human-like status, though, was that it could answer other questions, like why he had been able to leave the country without perishing, why he hadn't remembered anything for the last fifteen years and why he was aging like a normal human. It had to do with how he'd been created—with the specific purpose to serve his parent's designs.

Selim sighed at the thought. It just brought to mind how alone he was now. He wished that Father had lived somehow. Pride's very existence had revolved around him, after all. With his absence came a void in Selim's soul that he doubted would ever fill in. Now that he looked back, he realized that that hole had been part of what had driven him to find the truth about his heritage and why he'd taken such offense in the name of his unknown parents.

On the other hand, his traitorous mind thought, now that Father had passed on, Selim did not have any tie to him. He couldn't help but wonder if that was why he no longer had a good deal of the weaknesses that had weighed him down before, such as the boundary limit. Truthfully, Pride had probably 'inherited' that particular trait from his father when the original homunculus had purged himself of that first sin to create his first born. How many other traits and problems had he and the other homunculi carried so Father could be free from them?

Now that Father was gone, he would never know for sure if those weaknesses (and a good deal of Pride's private thoughts) had been directly connected to and influenced by Father's very existence. He wouldn't be surprised, even if he didn't want it to be true.

Funny, his original self would have never admitted there could have been a flaw in his father. Part of him felt so much shame at the acknowledgement that it threatened to drive him into depression. The human part of him felt…well, proud of the fact that he'd been able to live and survive on his own for years when before it had been a high possibility that he'd been dependant on his parent to simply survive.

In conclusion, he'd had a connection to Father, and had been proud of it. Actually, he was still proud of it to an extent. Now he didn't have that. Should he count that as positive or negative?

Strangely enough, he was leaning towards positive. He still wanted Father back, but he liked the idea of living and thinking on his own. It was the very basis of the feeling of pride to know that one could do something (especially something difficult) without help, and both sides of him thought that was indeed a positive trait. Wasn't it?

So he'd been able to live as a human for years without any support whatsoever. Good or bad, it was a fact. Now that he looked back, he was surprised he'd been able to do so as well as he had. A lot of it had to do with the fact that he could age now.

He'd concluded that his body grew because his original design had been based off of a human's to an extent. As a homunculus before the Promised Day, his Philosopher's Stone had been able maintain his age. Now that he didn't have a plethora of energy, his body had to compensate and it fell back on its original, human-like function.

No wonder he'd been able to pass himself off as a normal human: He'd practically become one. And he _still_ could not decide whether to thank or kill Edward Elric for unwittingly doing all of this to him.

As for why he hadn't been able to remember anything, it all came down to the fact that his unsustained, fetus-like body that had been his true form simply hadn't had the capacity to consciously retain such information. Actually he'd been lucky those memories hadn't been completely erased.

Well, maybe not lucky; after all, if he'd been unable to access his past he wouldn't be in this situation at the moment. Of course, he could also be very dead if he hadn't subconsciously known about his power over shadows because Clemin probably would have killed him that evening so many months before.

Sighing, he reached up and gently felt at the wound in his shoulder. A large scab had already formed over the hole that had gone through his shoulder, sealing the wound rather nicely. He could even move it marginally without a great deal of pain. It had healed far more than a normal human's would have.

Well, that answered another question.

He smiled at that, the expression simultaneously holding both a sad wryness and a relieved smugness. It seemed his days as a human were over, one way or the other. An artificial being was still an artificial being no matter how close to human they acted.

His other shoulder hardly ached as well, although both of them still seemed rather stiff. He also felt drained; as if he'd used his shadows very subtly for hours on end. He could see how a sort of healing trance could do that. He estimated that it would be a little over a week before fully recovered. Sooner if he were lucky. He also truthfully felt he could fight and win against any but the very best opponents even now; well, once he had some rest in any case.

He'd settled down to do just that when a bright light broke through his thoughts. Snapping his eyes open, he watched with a completely neutral face as alchemy opened the previously non-existent door.

Squinting to protect his eyes against the sudden brightness, he could still make out Edward and Alphonse standing at the door with several officers behind them.

"Let's go, Pride," Alphonse said softly.

Selim didn't answer them with anything more than a glare. Then, sighing inwardly, he made to stand up. He took his time, getting to his feet in as dignified of a manner as he could without using his hands. He didn't want them to know he'd regained some use in them. Then, calmly, he walked outside, ignoring the guns pointed in his direction. Instead he took a deep breath of the fresh air as he reveled in the light again. Despite the tension in the atmosphere, he felt far more relaxed than he ever had inside the dome.

They walked down the worn dirt road in silence, the only sound consisting of the boots and shoes thumping along the packed earth. The few people they passed stopped and stared at them, many with accusing expressions. Pride didn't know whether those glares were directed towards him, or the military personnel escorting the obvious prisoner, and he also didn't care. He didn't bother to meet their eyes, although he could see out of the corner of his vision as they'd spot the Elrics and relax. It annoyed Selim for some reason and he felt his jaw clench at the sight, but he otherwise refused to change his expression. He wouldn't give his captors the satisfaction.

The train had obviously been at the station for quite a while by the time their little group reached it. They lead him to the back and he couldn't help but sigh inwardly; another baggage car. Of course. He was really getting sick of those. The next time he traveled anywhere he would insist on traveling by truck.

The box car had been covered by several tarps that he could see with the various colors peeking out unevenly by corners at the bottom. The topmost layer was black and had obviously been transmuted to be extra thick. He wouldn't doubt if they'd covered all of the larger cracks with planks of wood on the inside as well. He'd been right; there would be no light this trip.

Taking a deep breath and one last look around the open and lighted landscape, he walked up the ramp they'd set up and through the large door. No sooner had he stepped inside the darkened interior than he called on his shadow to do the same as he had before in the dome, piercing the side just opposite of the door as subtly as he could, and then leaving the shadow there so as to avoid notice. It would vanish when they closed and locked the door, but if he sat down in front of the hole before then, no one should be the wiser. Then he'd have something to work with if worst came to worst.

Sitting down in front of the hole, he leaned back against it and tried to relax, with only marginal success.

He glanced around the inside of the car, noticing that several pillows and a few blankets had been placed in the corners and along the edges, no doubt to make whoever stayed with him more comfortable.

He wasn't surprised when Edward and Alphonse both stood resolutely in front of him as the soldiers slid the door behind them shut.

"So you will be my company," he muttered wryly. "Don't trust anyone else?"

"When it comes to you, no," Edward grumbled as he found a place to sit down in the darkness.

 _Well, this promises to be a pleasant trip_ , Selim thought sarcastically.

xXx

It took all too long to actually leave the station, but Selim had no problem with that. He simply sat and focused his body's energy on healing as he couldn't relax enough to sleep just yet.

It wasn't until a good half-hour into the trip that Alphonse spoke, drawing Selim out of his trance.

"You could have escaped."

Selim cracked an eye open, despite the fact that he couldn't see anything.

"What?" Edward asked sounding utterly confused.

"When we were leaving the dome, I saw a light. He found a way to poke a hole in the wall." He paused and Selim couldn't help but smile knowingly as the younger brother continued. "He could have escaped."

"That's ridiculous," Edward replied. "If he could have, than he would have. How could he have gotten out anyway?"

Selim couldn't help but snicker at that. "You never change, do you?" he heard himself say. "Both of you are ridiculous and so easily fooled."

"Just like every other human out there?" Edward asked dryly, obviously unimpressed.

Selim shrugged. "I wasn't going to say it."

"Bull."

"At least your crude language has cleaned up."

"Stop changing the subject," Alphonse interjected firmly. "Why didn't you escape?"

Selim didn't answer for a few moments. He didn't want to tell them that he'd been healing, but he didn't have much of an excuse otherwise either. Finally he shrugged and settled on a half-truth.

"I didn't want to run in my condition. I knew I wouldn't get far."

"So you admit you're inferior to humans?" Edward asked smugly.

The homunculus bristled. "Of course not," he snapped. "I'm just not stupid and am in no condition to do much of anything at the moment."

The brothers remained silent for several seconds.

"Who were those people you were with when we caught you?" Alphonse asked, breaking the quiet again.

"You didn't catch me, I gave myself up," Pride shot with a growl. Then he took a breath and tried to calm down.

"Whatever." He heard Edward say smugly.

He refused to answer the blond. Instead he focused in the direction Alphonse's voice had come from. "To answer your question, they were bounty hunters originally working for the FFO. They were sent to capture me, but had a bit of a change of heart."

"In other words, you forced them to go with you," Edward snorted.

"Did they really strike you as people I'd forced into something?" Selim replied flatly. "If you must know, they warned me about a sniper set to kill me once they decided that Clemin," he spat the name, "and the FFO no longer had the country's best interests at heart."

"Wait," Edward spoke up slowly. "Ex-Brigadier General Clemin?"

"From the Coup?" Alphonse supplied.

Selim rolled his eyes. "Of course not. It was some other man named Clemin that knew my true origins."

"Sarcasm's a new thing for you," the older brother pointed out.

"Yes, well, I'm a very different person," Selim retorted. "Not that you'll believe me."

"I do," Alphonse said, voice still frustratingly soft, "but that doesn't make you less dangerous."

Well, Selim wasn't about to argue with that. He wasn't sure he could, even if he had wanted to.

"How are you different?" Edward's question caught him off guard.

"What?" He asked at the same time Alphonse spoke up, sounding surprised.

"You couldn't tell, brother?"

He could tell Edward had shifted, probably looking towards his brother.

"Please," Selim muttered, rolling his eyes. "You caught the blaring differences."

"Yeah." Edward said after a pause.

The fact that he hadn't killed people when he could (should) have, or that he hadn't been as harsh and cruel as he really could have been, or that he'd displayed such weakness as his own indecision so obviously… For some reason, the alchemist wanted Selim to say it. Well, Edward could want him to openly confess his weaknesses all he wanted. That didn't mean it would happen.

"It won't change anything," he said instead. "Not to Mustang, and not to Armstrong."

This time, Edward sighed. "No."

"Can I ask you something?" Alphonse asked.

"Why should I care what you do?" Selim muttered.

"Right," the young man said softly, then spoke a little louder. "Mustang said you tried to kill him. Did you?"

Selim didn't answer for several seconds. Finally, he opened his mouth. "Yes."

"Why? You didn't kill anyone else…you didn't even try to kill us. Why did you try to kill him?"

Selim thought about that. He had more reason to kill Edward than he had to kill Mustang, but he hadn't really considered trying to do so seriously.

"I'd just gotten my memories back at the time," he answered finally. "It was a bit overwhelming."

"And he actually overpowered you?" Edward asked skeptically.

Pride bristled. "Of course not!" he snapped. "I chose not to kill him!"

Another pause. "Why?" Alphonse asked again. Selim was beginning to get very annoyed with him.

"Why what?"

"You said you tried to kill him. If you chose not to, then you had to change your mind. Why?"

It was a fair question, but not one that Selim himself could answer easily. He'd been ready and willing to kill the General and his stupid right-hand woman, and the grunts they'd brought along. For some reason, that didn't include Mandy. He had far more reason to kill her than he did to kill the soldiers Mustang had brought; she'd been the one lying to him and keeping secrets that could very well have killed him. But remembering back, the moment he'd seen her move in front of Mustang, it had almost been as if he had woken up. The new pain in his shoulder probably had had something to do with that as well, but regardless, he hadn't wanted to kill her.

Why?

Somehow, he knew that if his mother or Johan had done the same thing, he wouldn't have been able to kill them either. Why not, though? What made them different? The fact that he'd gotten to know them perhaps? Gotten to…care for them?

He blinked. Was that what sentiment felt like? Before the Clemin incident, he would readily say that he'd been friends with Johan, and that he loved his mother. Friendship seemed like such a foreign concept to him now, and he'd never had an inkling of what love was. He shouldn't even have been able to feel anything like that. He was Pride, a homunculus and nothing more. So why had he felt, even before the Promised Day, other things? Anger, hatred, annoyance…none of those were Pride. He'd noticed before, but passed it off that he'd felt them only in connection to his pride. But now? Yes he was proud of his mother, but he suspected he would feel the same about her even if he wasn't.

"Pride?"

"I…" he started, unsure of what to say. The last thing he wanted to do was expose such weak thoughts to the brothers. Finally he took a calming breath.

"Selim," he said.

"What?" Alphonse asked.

"Call me Selim." It had only been his name for about two decades. Before that he'd been Pride. Even asking them to call him that felt…strange. Like he was turning his back on who he was. It wasn't an altogether pleasant or easy thing to do, but it didn't hurt his pride as much as he'd thought it would. Strange. Perhaps he was just getting used to the damage his ego had taken?

"Alright, Selim." That was Alphonse, of course.

"You don't know, do you," Edward said. It was a statement, not a question, and it obviously referred to his previous question.

Selim didn't answer. He wasn't sure if he knew the answer to their question or not, but he didn't want to admit that either.

"Why does it matter?" he asked finally. "It's because I couldn't do what I needed to do that I'm here."

"'Couldn't', or 'wouldn't'?" Alphonse asked.

"Why is this so important to you?" Selim growled. "I told you, it doesn't matter to those people who matter."

"Like your mother?"

Selim clenched his fists. "Why does she keep coming into it?! She won't be able to prevent my execution any more than Bonnie and Marlin could prevent my capture!"

"I just want to know who I'm handing over to the military," Edward said, his voice uncharacteristically soft.

"To ease your conscience?" Selim ground out. "Well fine then: I am the homunculus Pride. I killed people on a regular basis for almost three centuries and tried to destroy an entire country. I was the one that sent Mustang to see the gate and I helped to manipulate both of you into doing and seeing most of the horrible events that happened to you. I remember doing it now. I _am_ the person you want to 'hand over' to the military, as you say. Feel better?"

"I don't think you are," Alphonse said, his tone matching his brother's. "You said that part of you would do that again in a heartbeat, but if even the smallest part of you wouldn't, then you're different. You're not the Pride we knew."

Selim scowled. "And I will ask again: What difference does it make?"

"Maybe it won't make any difference," Edward said. "Maybe it will."

Selim blinked, and then scoffed. "Am I to believe that you two will take up my case and argue on my behalf? That you have taken pity on me again?"

"Pity?" the older brother asked.

"You didn't kill me. I classify that as pity, no matter what you say."

Selim smiled when they didn't answer. Well, at least he'd driven his point home.

"I actually just thought you owed your mother an apology," Edward muttered.

"Whatever the reason, you took pity on me then as you are now," Selim replied. And he wasn't sulking. He wasn't. "Are you both so weak that you cannot even allow someone else to finish what you have started?"

"Do you want to die?" Edward asked, and Selim could practically hear the scowl in his voice.

"Well, letting you die now would undermine allowing you to live to begin with," Alphonse interjected placatingly.

Selim shook his head. "So you would have me live in captivity? Just as my ability to roam freely becomes apparent. Both of you are cruel indeed. I commend you." He didn't mean for it to sound that bitter or sarcastic.

"Look, we're doing what we can, alright?" Edward said hotly.

"Well don't. I don't need your or anybody else's help."

Alphonse snickered mirthlessly. "Still as proud as ever."

Selim glanced in his direction. "Even when I thought I was human I was naturally proud. That will never change."

"No. I guess not."

They sat in silence for a while before Edward spoke again, his voice cautious. "You know, pride is a human emotion."

Selim rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know. That is why Father wanted to purge himself of it."

"But if you're the embodiment of his pride—of his humanity—doesn't that make you human?"

Selim literally could not speak at that. Did he seriously mean that? Honestly, after everything that had happened?

"You know, you have a point, brother," Alphonse said thoughtfully.

"Of course I do, Al."

"I mean," the younger brother continued as if he hadn't heard the other, "sure you've lived for hundreds of years, but that was because you had a philosopher's stone. Just like our father, and he was completely human."

A seething anger began to build deep within him as the other two continued.

"Of course, then there's the shadow thing, but Wrath didn't have a power other than superior stamina and strength," Edward mused. "Besides, some humans have the ability to perform alchemy, which is similar to a homunculi's power."

"And homunculi are based off of human—"

"Don't. You . Dare," Selim cut in, seething inside. Pride knew what they were doing; trying to create even more of a conflict inside of him. The problem was, it was working. That side of him that would always be Selim devoured every syllable they'd spoken, growing more confident and less scared and worried. The other side of him, the side that would always be his father's first born, wanted to slowly tear them a part and savor their screams in his ears as he tortured them for such blasphemy! Behind him, he'd begun to hack at the hole he'd made with what shadows he could. The angry side, it seemed, was winning this time. Unfortunately, with the little light that was allowed in, his shadows were weak at best and it was taking far too long to do anything to the side of the box car.

Edward must have heard the tone in Selim's voice because his next words held a triumphant smirk that did nothing to help his cause.

"Why don't you want to hear it?"

"It's true, you know" Alphonse agreed. He sounded closer…or was that just him starting to feel trapped and contained again. He'd been able to ignore it before, but he knew he wasn't exactly sane right now.

"Shut up! I'm not human!"

"What's so wrong with being human?" Alphonse asked.

"You're weak, pathetic creatures! Why would I want to be so weak?"

Edward scoffed, sounding like he was thoroughly enjoying this. "Don't look now, but those weak, pathetic creatures stopped your plan; you know, the one you'd been working on for centuries. Plus we defeated every single one of you—every single supposedly 'superior being'. If that doesn't put us on even ground, then it definitely is testament to which race is superior."

Pride grit his teeth. "No, you simply overwhelm by out-numbering. Obvious quantity over quality. It's disgusting."

"And isn't that exactly why you needed the country to begin with?" Alphonse asked. He was definitely closer. Selim didn't want to move or he would expose the light, but his first instinct was to shy away. Continually fighting his instincts to panic in the darkness and move away from the repugnant beings around him had begun to wear on him. He couldn't seem to think straight.

"Of course!" he agreed, well he still had some mental capacity it seemed. "The only thing you beings are good for is as a power source!"

"Do you honestly believe that?" Alphonse asked.

"Get away from me!"

"Why don't you just move?"

Selim stopped, looking incredulously in Alphonse's direction. He knew…about the hole. Or he'd deduced at least.

"Why should I be required to move?" he asked, trying desperately to keep the panic from his voice as he pushed the weak shadows to dig harder and faster. He was almost there…almost—

A bright, blue light illuminated the car, running along the wall behind him. It was gone in a flash, or he would have used the shadows it cast as well. Moments later, the train seemed that much darker.

"I was right, brother. He'd done it again."

"Nice job, Al."

Selim didn't say anything, staring ahead and trying not to panic again. At least Alphonse had moved away. He could hear him scooting across the floor of the car. Had he been that quiet to begin with?

"If I am so human," he started slowly, voice low, "then why are you so afraid of me?" Selim seemed to despair at that while Pride crowed silently with triumph.

Edward scoffed. "That's not fear, that's intelligence."

"It's fear," Selim responded. Why did he sound so depressed? He'd just turned their argument back on itself. He wasn't human, and that was a good thing, wasn't it?

"We predict your plans and stop them, and you call it fear?" the older man asked dryly. "Besides, you're not one to talk."

To say he was offended would be an understatement akin to calling the transmutation circle Sloth had dug 'large'. "You…" he started, but realized that getting angry wouldn't help at the moment, so he took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. "What have I ever done that would make you believe I had any fear in me whatsoever?"

Alphonse answered him, making Selim wonder if they were somehow telepathic. "Ed and I have come to the conclusion that you hide your fear with pride. It's a defense mechanism."

"You're afraid that homunculi aren't better than human, so you defend yourself by believing they are. You're afraid your father didn't really care for you—"

"He did!" Selim insisted.

Edward scoffed again. "We've been over this. He left you to fend for yourself when he knew you'd been weakened—for his plan and agenda none the less—he absorbed Greed in a rather desperate attempt to—"

"Wait, he what?!" Selim couldn't believe that. Why would Father take one of his imperfect, human sins back?

"His plan backfired," Alphonse explained. "You saw what happened. When he left us and went above ground to replenish his stone. We managed to wear him down, but as a last, desperate attempt to regain his power, he absorbed Greed out of Ling."

"But…he'd obtained his goal…he'd…no," Pride glanced up, glaring through the darkness towards Edward. "No! You're lying!"

The older blond snorted. "See what I mean? You're afraid we're right, so you're in denial. Your Pride covers your fear."

It felt as if his whole world had been torn down around him, upended and thrown into a gigantic blender. He could see the logic in the other's words…but he couldn't believe them. It just couldn't be possible that Father had been like that—had been that _flawed._ Was that where all of Pride's weakness came from as well? His basic, homunculus instincts? The concept seemed so wrong and foreign to him that he just couldn't accept it. He searched his mind, desperate for a rebuttal. Strangely enough, it was the Selim side of him that found the answer.

"That's…not completely true," he heard himself say. "I had pride in my life as a human…in my mother." That seemed to open a gate of sorts, and he suddenly had his answers. "I also had pride in my intelligence as a homunculus and as a human. I had pride in my abilities that were well earned both physical and mental, and I never once feared anything about them."

"Not even that you might lose them?"

"I knew I would only lose my abilities and my intelligence when I lost my life."

And ever infuriatingly perceptive, Alphonse asked, "And you never feared that your knowledge was wrong? Twisted or tainted to a point of not being real? Or that your abilities were being used in the wrong way?"

Selim didn't answer, mainly because he couldn't remember. He searched his memories as far back as he could, but his pride in Father and his plan had always been there. Had it been planted there?

The Elrics didn't pursue the subject, and the car fell into a thick, contemplative quiet. Selim was glad they didn't seem to want to break the silence as he found he just wanted to ignore the darkness and his company as best he could until they arrived. Maybe he could ignore the headache-inducing conflict inside of him as well.

He didn't know how long they rode like that and eventually he concluded that the brothers had decided to sleep the rest of the trip away. Well, perhaps Alphonse had. He doubted Edward would let his guard down around Selim. Even if both of them had fallen asleep, it wasn't like he could really do much. And if he could do something, even if he still had the little hole to work on, what could he do now? Escape? He still didn't trust his body enough to jump from a moving train again (as that had turned out _so_ well the first time), and he doubted the Elrics would sleep through the stops that would give him an opportunity to run otherwise.

Also, something seemed to be drawing him back—drawing him home. He suspected it was some sort of after effect of his withdrawn area limit. He'd left his birth place, and now his body naturally wanted to return to it.

It most certainly wasn't because he wanted desperately to see his mother again. Nor was it because he thought a being such as himself could ever _deserve_ a human punishment.

Finally deciding that his thoughts weren't worth entertaining, he shoved them aside and focused on directing his energy towards healing again. He had no possible way of telling exactly how long he stayed like that before exhaustion crept up on him. Deciding it would be prudent to rest and regain some energy before he was forced to face Mustang and Armstrong again, he curled up on the floor of the car with a blanket that had been near him. Somehow he was able to ignore the bumping and jarring of the train enough to drift off to sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

Disconcerting didn't begin to cover it. One minute he'd been surrounded by the vortex (and it had been strangely subdued, probably due to the minute amount of energy remaining in his stone) and the next he'd come to his senses and seen nothing but black.

He blinked, wondering if he had woken up at all, and then a jolt of pure terror shot through him. The ground beneath him bumped and jarred, and for a minute, in his sleep induced haze, he really had no idea what had happened.

"H-hey, what's going on? Where are the…" he faded off as the memories began to flood back.

"Selim?" he heard a familiar voice in the dark, also thick with sleep.

He didn't answer. Well, at least they'd taken his request to heart and called him by his human name. Why had he wanted them to do that again? He couldn't remember, and his still lethargic mind refused to answer him.

"Nothing," he managed to get out.

"Hn," another voice muttered in acknowledgement. Probably Edward.

Selim grabbed the blanket he'd been lying on and threw it around his shoulders, half to help him keep warm in the rapidly cooling air and half to provide some comfort and protection against the dark. The terror never really left, and so he sat there, huddled in the blackness as he reminded himself that his fear was completely irrational. It only worked marginally.

Waking up in the dome at the Elric's before hadn't been much better but at least at that point he hadn't been jumping and bouncing around like a horse on hallucinogens. Why couldn't the train ride be smoother? He would definitely have to put waking up in the dark while moving like that as something to avoid in the future at all costs.

Closing his eyes, he thought of bright sunlight and warm, summer days while willing his shoulders to heal again. No matter what the outcome, Selim realized that both sides of him wanted nothing more than for this awful ride to end.

xXx

His last major chance to escape would come when they opened the door. Selim knew this, and was marginally surprised that he didn't care. The train had long-since come to a stop, and he could still hear the clangs and clanks of the vehicle as it came to a full rest, but the box car felt so stifling and quiet now.

He sat with the blanket wrapped tightly around him to ward off the cold as he chewed on the last of the food that had been stashed in the car. He was glad the Elrics hadn't kept it from him.

By his guess, they'd reached New Optain. He couldn't be sure, but it would make sense. The city was far enough north to drastically manifest the changes in season, and Selim hadn't felt air that cold in over two weeks. He'd come to the conclusion that he liked the heat better.

The muted sound of several people mulling about outside the car reached his ears. Finally, they'd be moving him. For the umpteenth time he wondered if he should attempt to escape, but again decided against it. He wasn't even sure why anymore.

They mulled about for what seemed like forever and he found himself trying to calm his growing frustration. He hated how he couldn't really tell time in the dark like this. It had gone well past nerve-grating. He knew he'd become irritable and annoyed (well, more so than normal in any case) but he gave no thought to even attempting civility towards the Elrics. The closest he could get would be ignoring his company completely…until the doors opened in any case. He'd have light then, and everything would be more manageable. He could deal with the Elrics and the military at that point. Until then, he had to focus on not utterly panicking. He doubted he'd ever get over that indignity even if the Elrics let him live it down.

It took him a moment to realize he'd gone from almost absolute apathy to that deeply rooted anger in just seconds. His mood swings puzzled and frustrated him to no end. They held no rhyme or reason and tended to happen at the drop of a hat. Sometimes the calmer side would win; sometimes the more emotional. Sometimes Pride would win; sometimes Selim. His head still hurt from the stupid conflict, and he didn't feel any closer to resolving it than he had when he'd confronted the Elrics. He only knew he had to.

So he sat in the silence, waiting for the doors to open. Then he could escape—not the military (he still felt rather indifferent about being taken and punished by the government and doubted that would change any time soon), but the darkness.

It still took all too long in his opinion, but finally a bright burst of morning light shot through the darkness. He filled his lungs, vaguely realizing he'd been breathing slightly more heavily than usual and hoped that no one else had noticed. The fresh air and light soothed his soul in a way he could never describe. Just the sight of the open doorway almost made him feel giddy.

He really never wanted to see a baggage car again if he could help it.

Somehow the Elrics had known exactly when the military idiots would open the door, as both had placed themselves between him and freedom. Alphonse crouched low, hands hovering above the floor of the car threateningly. Edward stood stoically, but his knees were bent and he looked ready to leap if Selim did anything.

He didn't.

"Time to go," the older brother said with a scowl. He appeared to have just crawled out of bed. Between the rumpled clothes and the hair coming loose from the pony-tail, he looked rather horrible. Selim couldn't help the smug grin that came to his face at that. He'd take what little triumph he could get.

Strangely enough, Selim noted with distaste, Alphonse looked much better. His clothes weren't even rumpled.

Outside, several military men in blue uniforms surrounded the car, each with a large rifle pointed directly at their captive. He wanted to scoff. If he really wanted to get away, he could easily just put up a shield and tear open the floorboards of the car. Truthfully, it wouldn't be that difficult to escape at the moment.

And why did his thoughts keep returning to that idea? He'd already made up his mind to be patient. Trying to escape now wouldn't put him in the best condition. He'd healed some more on the train ride (as much as he'd been able to when on the verge of panic), but over-exertion could still take him out. He did not want to tear his wound open again. Long periods of running and hiding would almost guarantee that he did.

Trying not to move his arms too much (still wanting to give the illusion that they remained damaged), he got to his feet and walked to the door, and then down the ramp. The doors were on the shaded side of the train so he stepped into the crisp, cold air caused by the vehicle's shadow. Then he smiled. He may have preferred heat to cold, but he would take cold light over warm darkness every time.

No one said anything as they walked him to a car and had him climb into the back seat between Edward and another military officer. Havoc climbed in the front and Alphonse went in the car behind. Smart. Now if Selim tried anything, he'd be hurting those who could do the least amount of damage, leaving their powerhouse to take care of any fallout.

He waited in silence for everyone to get situated, using the time to glance around and verify that they had indeed reached New Optain and not Central. He'd only guessed the former because of the situation with the FFO, and his brief scrutiny confirmed his deduction. Then he noticed two people standing just outside the entrance to the New Optain station and groaned inwardly.

"What are they doing here?" he muttered.

Edward didn't so much as twitch, probably figuring it was some sort of trick on Selim's part. Havoc, however, glanced at Selim with a scowl, then followed his gaze to the couple watching their car.

Bonnie and Marlin, of course.

"Well we couldn't exactly tell them they couldn't come," Havoc explained irritably. "The train back to East City had already come and gone by the time we got everything sorted out. They wanted a ride and had every right to one as far as I know."

Selim sighed and sat back in the seat, relaxing as much as he could in the situation. "Whatever," he murmured.

"It's not like they can do anything anyway," Edward commented, still scowling grouchily.

Havoc didn't answer. Instead he nodded for the driver to start the car. The soldier did so, and they began the comparatively smooth ride to military headquarters.

xXx

Selim had expected that his 'escorts' would march directly into New Optain headquarters and to General Mustang without so much as a pause…which was why it confused him that the rather large group sat in a sort of waiting-room in some make-shift headquarters in a run-down building somewhere towards the edge of the city.

"What are we doing here?" Edward asked aloud, scowling at the surrounding tent as if it had offended him somehow. Apparently Selim wasn't the only one in the dark.

"The General wanted our prisoner brought directly to him," Havoc answered.

Edward turned his full attention to the officer, expression dry and unimpressed. "Then why is he out here instead of sitting on his butt in his air-conditioned office?"

Havoc returned Edward's scowl, obviously not appreciating the younger blond's summary. "The General isn't the kind of person to sit in his office in a crisis."

"What crisis?" Edward returned. Pride grinned ever so slightly. It was entertaining to hear the man get so flustered. Some things, it seemed, really didn't change.

Havoc glanced at Edward, scowl deepening. Then he turned his attention briefly to Selim before it returned to the older of the Elrics. Then he shrugged as if to say 'why not' and opened his mouth to explain.

"We got a message just before we left Risembool. The company here was late because the FFO got wind of our quiet evacuation of Central in preparation for their attack, and they decided to send a small group here as well. Apparently it's degraded to a hostage situation." He sighed and shook his head. "The General came out to oversee the negotiations personally."

"What negotiations?" Alphonse asked skeptically.

Havoc shook his head. "Just something about the hostages' lives in exchange for Fuehrer Armstrong giving up her position or her life."

Edward snorted. "Like she would."

"They haven't found a solution to the problem yet," Havoc said softly.

"They're not going to just let them die though, right?" Alphonse asked worriedly.

The officer shook his head. "That's what they're trying to prevent."

They stood there in silence for several minutes after that, the only muffled sounds being what came through door in front of them. At least they hadn't set up a tent. The building they'd taken over seemed to be old, worn and had probably stood empty for quite a while.

Finally, the muffled exclamations stopped, and Selim heard footsteps. The door opened to reveal three people, the head of which happened to be (of course) General Mustang.

The man paused and looked over the group for a moment before settling his glare on Selim (who happened to be more than willing to return it). The homunculus didn't break eye contact until he heard a gasp from behind the general. He lowered his gaze and found Hawkeye standing behind the commander, her own glare cold and threatening. She hadn't gasped though. The woman behind her in the doorway had. Mandy.

Suddenly he found the floor very interesting. He just couldn't meet those eyes that had once counted him as a fiend. He didn't want to know what he'd see there.

"Well, I can't say this is entirely unexpected," Mustang said wryly. "Fullmetal, still as short as ever, I see."

Selim saw a vein throb on Edward's forehead. "I'm as tall as you are," he said through gritted teeth. "And will you stop calling me that?"

"Sure you are, kid," Mustang said, although his voice held a certain amount of light amusement. Selim wanted to roll his eyes.

"General," Alphonse broke in, ever the peacemaker. "We were wondering what you're going to do now."

And that quickly, the atmosphere in the room turned somber. Mustang glanced around the group again, and then sighed.

"That's really up to the Fuehrer. Once she arrives from Central, I'm to escort the prisoner to her myself."

Selim wanted to scoff. Did the man honestly never learn? Selim had beaten him once, and he could do so again. Did these people really think that he would be there if he really didn't want to be?

That thought had him blinking. Did he want to be there? Not particularly, although he still felt strangely apathetic about the whole situation, so he didn't particularly not want to be their either. Why though? Why did he not care to simply leave? Perhaps because he wanted to see his mother? Yes, that had something to do with it, but as he examined the situation, he came to realize that it wasn't so much that he wanted to be there, but more that he'd become tired of running like a coward.

They continued to discuss his uncertain future, but he still didn't care enough to listen in and had just started to really tune them out when the door behind them opened, offering a nice distraction for everyone.

"Sir," an officer said, obviously addressing Mustang.

"What is it?" the dark-haired general asked, only the slightest annoyance at being interrupted lacing his voice.

"Some of the officers you called for are here, and they insisted on speaking with you right away."

"I don't have any more information than you do," Mustang said dryly.

"I know, sir. I informed them of the situation with their families, but some of them are still insisting."

This was obviously not something Mustang wanted to deal with at the moment, and that brought a slight smile to Selim. "Who are they?"

"Just two of them, sir. A Major Myers and a Colonel Browbeat."

Selim's eyes widened. Browbeat…that was Johan's father. A lump of ice began to form in his stomach. He was here inquiring after his family, which meant that either Johan or his mother (or both) were being held hostage.

At first he didn't really know what to feel about that, or how to react at all. Then that blasted conflict rose inside of him again. Why should he care about the humans and their pointless conflicts? They no longer served any purpose to him after all.

That thought seemed to make the other side of him angry. Why should he care? Because this was Johan, his best friend…

Who had abandoned him.

But he hadn't wanted to. He'd proven he'd still cared when he'd given Selim the Elrics' book.

Suddenly, his mind froze as something occurred to him. Johan had to have read the book before he'd given it to Selim. With the way he'd acted, he must have come to a conclusion that contained at least part of the truth. At the time, Selim had thought Johan was just responding to his parents not allowing him to—

Why had his parents done that so suddenly after almost a decade with no problems? Johan said his parents had found his notes and then forbade them from being friends. So they'd suddenly thought of Selim as a danger. He could only draw one conclusion from that.

"They knew," he whispered. Thankfully, no one heard him and he continued to piece it all out in his head. Somehow, Johan had known before they'd found the book or he wouldn't have had notes. Or perhaps he'd just found the book and had been taking notes when his parents caught him? After all, how _could_ he have known? When could he have found out? Had he really put it all together?

If so, why hadn't he told Selim?

Then again, he could imagine just how that conversation would go. In his mind, he could see his best friend walking up to him and grinning as he said, 'By the way, you're a monster. FYI.' No, Johan would never have done that.

"He wanted me to draw my own conclusions," he whispered to himself. But why would Johan want him to do that? To make the answer easier to accept? To keep the true answer from him? No, or he wouldn't have given Selim the Elrics' book. Besides, he'd claimed that he'd been working on wearing his parents down so they could at least speak to each other again. If he'd known the whole truth, why would he have done that?

So what had Johan really known? And why didn't he care if Selim found out?

For the life of him, he could not find the answers. It just didn't make sense…and both sides of him wanted to know. Blinking, he glanced around. Even Edward had taken his focus off of Selim in favor of watching the General address the waiting officer. Selim knew he wouldn't get his answer here. After all, if Johan did survive, why would he come to see the captured monster that had once been his best friend? Besides, he doubted the Browbeats would let their son anywhere near him, and Johan didn't often go against his parents' wishes.

So the first thing came first. He had to meet Johan himself before he could ask, and his former friend would have to be alive to answer his questions. If Selim wanted to guarantee he would receive an answer, the solution was simple: He'd have to rescue Johan.

And he couldn't do that as a prisoner.

"…meet with them shortly," Mustang was saying.

Selim knew he had to act then, and so he did. As subtly as he could, he moved a thin shadow out in two directions. The first crawled rapidly up Alphonse's leg, and the second wrapped around Mandy's. They both realized something was wrong at about the same time, but it was too late.

With all of his strength, Selim jerked his shadow, swinging Alphonse around, knocking Havoc, Edward, Hawkeye, Mustang and most of the other soldiers in the room down. He didn't waste time, already leaping towards one of the two windows in the room while dodging the hands and weapons of those few men he'd missed as he dragged Mandy with him. At the window he turned around and brought the dark-haired girl in front of him, making sure to plant her directly between him and Hawkeye.

"Don't move," he hissed, bringing a shadow to a point against her throat. Everyone in the room froze. Mandy was breathing rapidly, but she also didn't move. He could feel her tensing through the shadows and wasn't sure whether he should enjoy her fear or apologize to her for having to use her as a shield. It was a cowardly tactic, but he felt it had been necessary. When he was sure that he had everyone's attention, he aimed a glare at the General, who had almost risen from the floor.

"If you follow me, she dies," he said simply, then threw up a shield and jumped out of the window, thankful that they hadn't gone higher than ground level. Then he took off running down the street, carrying Mandy behind him.

He sprinted around several corners of the empty city (apparently at least this part had been evacuated as well) before he came to a stop. If he wanted to go through with this, he would have to conserve his energy.

Sighing, he turned and looked down at the State Alchemist, meeting her eyes. He expected to see fear there, but instead he saw something that confused him: a sort of sad resignation.

"I'm going to let you go," he mumbled. "I don't want to hurt you or kill you, and as far as I'm concerned you can go running back and tell your precious general whatever you want." At least the sorrow had vanished, replaced by confusion. "I'm…sorry," yeah, it was still hard to say that and he didn't expect that to change any time soon. "I didn't want to use a hostage, but that was the only way I could escape."

She said something, but he had a shadow covering her mouth. For a moment, he considered just leaving her there without letting her speak, but then figured 'why not?' It wasn't like she could do anything at the moment, and she obviously had a question. Besides, as much as he'd hated to admit it, he'd missed her company…a little.

"What?" he asked when he'd moved the shadow.

"Why didn't you escape before? You could have gotten away earlier, I know you could have."

He regarded her for several seconds. Then he shrugged. If he answered her, she'd know where he was going. Abruptly it occurred to him that he didn't actually know where the hostages were at the moment, and that she'd probably know.

"Where are they keeping the hostages?"

"What?"

"The hostages," he repeated, trying not to sound annoyed.

She blinked. "A-at the hotel at the end of the street the temporary base is on. Why?"

He shrugged again. "I need to know which way to run." He turned and began to head down the street away from her, making sure to keep her tied up in his shadows for as long as he dared.

"Wait," she called. He paused. "Why are you letting me go? My life could lengthen yours…the General told me everything."

He raised an eyebrow, ignoring the pang of disappointment that shot through him. "You want to die?" he asked.

"Of course not, sil—" she cut off and bit her lip. It took her a few seconds to speak again, and when she did, she didn't meet his eyes. "Who are you?"

He didn't really know how to answer that question. "Pardon?"

"You're not acting like Selim or Pride, not from what I've seen and not from what the General has told me. Who are you?"

She really wanted to know…no, she needed to know. He could see it in her eyes even without meeting them, and he could see past the question as well. She had really just asked what had happened to the person she'd known.

"I don't know," he answered truthfully. "Right now…neither, both…I don't know if I'll ever know."

He waited for her to respond, but she didn't. Instead she looked up at him with a puzzled expression, as if she were trying to figure him out. He wanted to scoff. If he couldn't figure himself out, did she really think she could?

Then, to his surprise, she smiled softly. "Still as strong as ever, I see. Stronger, I guess."

He couldn't help the incredulous expression that came over his face. What did she mean by—

Then her words from the train came back to his mind. _"You're a proud person, yet you ask for help. In my opinion that makes you strong."_

He looked away. "I'm not."

"You just proved that you are."

"Stop it!" he suddenly rounded on her. "You think I'll fall for your stupid human logic? For the feelings and weaknesses that you all try to hide?" Why did that sound so familiar? He brushed the inquiry to the back of his mind, refusing to focus on anything but the here and now.

After only a moment's hesitation, he withdrew his shadows. If he kept them anywhere near her for even a second longer, he'd probably just kill her and get it over with. "Get out of my sight, scum. Run back to your hero and take your pathetic attempt at logic with you."

She must have seen the dangerous glint in his eye, because she only paused the barest moment before turning and running back down the street towards where they'd come from.

She didn't take a second look.

When she'd disappeared from view, he took a deep breath before turning and stalking moodily in the other direction. He'd have to double around and keep his shadow's eyes out for anyone coming in his direction, but he knew his destination now. He wanted to conserve energy and keep his shadow usage to a minimum (actually he didn't want to use them at all at the moment so as to rebuild his energy supply, but it was a necessity he couldn't risk holding back on).

Still, as he moved stealthily around the buildings, he realized that he felt different…like he had a purpose again. Even if it was only temporary, he'd found a new objective—something to work towards...and he liked having that back again, even if it would benefit humans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not the happiest with this chapter, but I hope you enjoy it. 
> 
> Anyway, again, please let me know what you think! Reviews inspire more ficcage...*hint hint*


	18. Chapter 18

Bonnie stared blankly at the disappearing, government cars' tail pipes, only her eyes showing the anger she felt.

"We can't do anything if he doesn't want to be helped," Marlin said from beside her. He knew she could hear the frustration in his voice no matter how well he tried to hide it. He also knew she wouldn't call him out for it.

"I know," she replied. "Doesn't stop me from hating them."

Marlin shrugged. "So we stick around for a few days, see if he changes his mind. If not, we head down to Rush Valley and find a hole to hide in."

"I hate hiding."

The larger man sighed. "Me too, but it's the best option we have now. If we're enemies of both sides now, what else can we do?"

The false blond sighed, suddenly looking much older and far wearier then her 38 years. "Nothing. We just sit by and let a corrupt government continue to lead this country through war after war. We just allow people to die over and over again…because there's nothing we can do."

Marlin shook his head. "We'll figure something out."

They stood for a few more minutes before turning to leave the station, only to stop short. A woman in her early twenties stood before them, dressed in an old coat that practically drowned her and a page-boy style hat to cover her short, brown hair. Her large, gray eyes stared sadly up at them.

Bonnie and Marlin both found themselves frozen.

"Janet," Marlin said.

The girl looked down. "You were right," she said softly. "The new leader convinced us to attack too early. There was no way we could win. I see that now."

The couple exchanged glances, then looked around for a more private place to talk. Janet and her younger brother had joined the FFO only a few months before. They originally came from Liore and had come to the rebellion to avenge the deaths and mutilation of several close family members and friends. It hadn't taken them long to befriend the two bounty hunters-turned mercenaries.

They didn't know the previous leader and didn't care what the FFO stood for as long as they got their revenge, so they didn't see how the new leader had begun to subtly usurp all leadership in the rebellion.

Bonnie had been the one to point out the leader directing the group to a premature attack, but for speaking out against him, she had gained the animosity of almost the entire faction (and by proxy Marlin had as well). Any missions they were given after that had been joint assignments with various people, all seemingly completely (almost blindly) loyal to either the new group or the new leader.

The assignment with Falk had been more or less the straw that broke the camel's back. They hadn't been able to convince many of the new members of the danger, and most of the older members had either left or been killed, so once Falk started giving them orders on pain of death, they'd decided to cut their losses and run.

When they'd left, Janet and her brother Barton hadn't been on speaking terms with Bonnie or Marlin.

That and the fact that she was alone set off warning bells in both of their heads.

"Where's Barton?" Bonnie asked, perhaps a bit sharply as Janet flinched.

"He went with them," she said softly as a pained expression slid over her face. "He…he called me a traitor! He said he didn't want to talk to me ever again!" With that, she burst into tears.

Marlin went forward, slipping his arm around the girl's shoulders to offer what comfort he could.

"Do you know where he is now?" the older man asked.

Janet sniffed and nodded. "H-he's at th-the hotel…with the hostages."

Bonnie pinched the bridge of her nose. "Alright," she said after a moment's pause. "Let's go see if we can find your brother."

Janet hiccuped loudly. "Y-you'd still do th-that for him?"

"No," Bonnie replied smoothly, staring off into the distance as if remembering something. "We'll do it for both of you."

xXx

"I am such an idiot!" Ed yelled punching the wall again.

"Brother, stop that. You'll hurt yourself again."

Roy looked on at the familiar sight of the brothers' actions, torn between annoyance and amusement. "Some things never change," he commented with a shake of his head. Truthfully, he felt about the same as Ed did. He'd just taken his eyes off of their prisoner for a minute—but then again, they should have known better. Actually, all of them _did_ know better.

"Sir," Hawkeye said from her temporary desk where she'd been standing and speaking into a phone, "I got a hold of Major Sondheim. He confirmed that his team will be able to begin searching the evacuated area. I've redirected Major Kvetch's team to cover the perimeter in their place. They are in the process of making the necessary adjustments."

Roy nodded, yet again thankful for his most efficient (and still good looking) lieutenant. "You've informed them of the danger involved?"

"Yes, sir. They have three combat alchemists on hand, two of which have almost a decade of experience."

It wasn't enough, but it would have to do. He knew it was the best they could hope for under the circumstances.

"Has the FFO called back with an answer to the terms we sent?"

"No, sir."

He bit back a sigh. "And they still haven't confirmed that their leader is in there?"

"No, sir."

"Has to be Clemin."

"Wait," Ed suddenly glanced up at Roy. "Who?"

xXx

It had taken him more than a half an hour to get back to where he'd started out…well, more or less. In the distance he could see a large group of military troops surrounding an impressive hotel. They had created several blockades and sat crouched nervously behind the barriers with their guns at ready. The scene gave off a sense of tense anticipation and boredom all at once. Typical military.

Now Selim had to find a way past several trigger-happy, easily distractable soldiers.

He sat behind a dumpster (oh the levels he'd been reduced to yet again) in an alley way just south of the hotel, eyes closed as he had his shadows scout the area.

He'd already begun to feel the strain of using his shadows earlier, and was making every effort he could to ensure that he used as little energy as possible. His pathetic human-like body just didn't have the reserves required to maintain the shadows for any serious length of time.

Still, he felt confident that he had enough energy to—

His thought cut off as one of his shadows came across a group of people…non-military people. There shouldn't be anyone here, so what were they doing?

It took him a moment to realize that at least two of them looked surprisingly familiar.

Retracting his shadows quickly, he sat for several seconds, wondering if he should just ignore them. Why had they come here anyway? They couldn't be following him, could they? And who was that third person? He'd looked like a young boy, but Selim didn't have any remotely valid guesses. But they'd looked like they had been planning something…something with the Hotel?

Selim grit his teeth. He couldn't have them barging in and ruining everything, so it seemed that he would have to confront them after all.

Wonderful.

xXx

"You're sure he's in there?" Marlin asked Janet quietly. None of them took their eyes off of the hotel.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Janet nod.

"He's not going to be happy to see us, is he," she said after a moment.

Marlin sighed. "Probably not." He exchanged silent glances with Bonnie, asking a silent question: _Should we risk our lives to 'save' someone who most likely will not cooperate? Someone who either doesn't know he's in danger or who knows very well but has been brainwashed enough into dying for the cause?_

Her eyes held no answers. Well, at least she seemed as unsure as he felt. After a moment, her gaze returned to the hotel.

"How do we get in?" Marlin asked.

"I don't know," Janet said quietly. Of course.

"Then how do you suggest we go about this?" Bonnie asked sweetly, her voice just barely hiding her frustration.

"I don't know!" Janet hissed, her own frustration coming to bare as tears filled her eyes. "I have no idea how we're going to get in there at all, let alone convincing Barton to come back out with us without announcing to everyone in the building _and_ the military at the same time! I…I don't know! I…"

She broke down, sobbing again and slumped against the wall as she wrapped her arms around her knees.

Bonnie sighed in exasperation and glanced imploringly at Marlin, who shook his head wryly. He leaned forward and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"We just need all the information we can get. We're not suggesting that we give up, alright?"

Janet shook a little harder before calming down somewhat and looking up with a tear-streaked, very red face. "I-I just can't leave him! He's my little brother…"

"We're not going to give up," Marlin said again, his voice firm and unyielding. "We just need to figure out a way."

"So I guess there's no chance of me talking you out of it," a new, annoyed voice said from the mouth of the alley way behind them. A very familiar voice…

All three of them whipped their heads around to stare at the figure walking calmly towards them.

If it had been under different circumstances, Marlin might have laughed at the open expression of shock on Bonnie's face. Well, maybe if he hadn't been mirroring it himself. Janet just watched the teenager approach uncertainly.

"Do you guys know him?" she asked quietly.

"Selim?" Marlin managed to ask. "Is that you?"

The boy rolled his eyes. "Who else would I be?"

"How did you escape?" Bonnie asked incredulously.

Now his expression seemed downright condescending. "Did you really think I couldn't escape if I didn't wish to?"

"Then why didn't you?" the Ishvalan shot back.

Selim shrugged. "Originally because I wasn't strong enough to. I am still healing, you know."

Come to think of it, he was still holding his hands and shoulders rather stiffly.

"Who is he?" Janet asked Marlin quietly. Selim heard her and turned his rather intimidating gaze on her.

"Selim Bradley. And you are?"

"Wait, what?" Bonnie asked.

The boy raised an eyebrow as he glanced out of the corner of his eye at her. "You cannot tell me you didn't put it together."

That left both Bonnie and Marlin rather stunned. Yes they'd heard Selim say he'd been around for three centuries, but him being the son of the previous Fuhrer? And whose side did that put him on now anyway? He certainly hadn't seemed to be on the military's side, but…

The two mercenaries exchanged glances. They would have to discuss this rather disturbing turn of events later.

"Selim, this is Janet," Marlin said slowly, still trying to keep himself calm after the one/two punch they'd figuratively received.

"Wait," Janet spoke up, confused. "How can you be Selim Bradley? He was what, 12 when he died? That was 15 years ago!"

Selim rolled his eyes impatiently. Funny, his actions seemed to have a dangerous edge to them that they hadn't had before. "It's a long story. More importantly, what are you doing here?"

He'd gestured to all three of them when he'd said 'you'.

"None of your business!" Janet said defensively.

Selim raised an eyebrow at her, making him seem amused and smug. "So you do have some brains in you."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Shh!" Bonnie hissed, ducking down and turning to look back out at the hotel. Everyone else took their hint from her and hid themselves as best they could. After a few moments she looked back at Janet with a disapproving scowl.

"No one's coming our way…this time."

"Sorry," Janet muttered.

"So why exactly are you here?" Bonnie asked, rounding on Selim, who didn't look intimidated in the least.

"I have my reasons."

"Are you here to rescue someone too?" Janet asked.

Selim's face went blank at that as he considered each of them in turn.

"Yes," he finally said.

"Who?" Janet asked at the same time that Marlin and Bonny said "Why?" All three of the former rebellion members exchanged glances with each other before turning back to Selim, who had taken on a closed off and rather wary expression.

"I have my reasons."

"That's not an answer!" Janet argued.

"Well it's all I'm willing to give you," Selim snapped back. He glanced around Bonnie and scrutinized the blockade in front of them. "So you are here to 'rescue' a member of the FFO...against his will."

The brunette girl bristled. "Yes."

So he'd overheard their conversation. How long had he been standing at the mouth of that alley?

Selim studied the scene in front of him with a coldness that reminded Marlin of a scientist. It struck him as to just how different he really was now that he wasn't even pretending to act like the boy they'd kidnapped. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he could see the monster that had been originally described to him now. This was the strange threat they had been sent to eliminate.

And yet, he could still see the old Selim there too, and it wasn't just the looks. The kid was dangerous. Marlin and Bonnie knew it, and Janet suspected. If he'd escaped custody, then he could undoubtedly kill all three of them with his strange shadow-things with minimal effort. And yet, he hadn't shown even the slightest hint of wanting to kill them.

And why was he here? Rescuing someone? That had 'Selim Baker' written all over it.

"I'm guessing you're here for a hostage," Marlin commented off-handedly. Selim glanced amusedly at him before returning his scrutiny to the blockade. "How were you planning on getting in?"

Selim scoffed. "Please. I have infiltrated areas far more secure than this. Although, at those times I was at full power…"

He glanced rather pointedly at Bonnie and Marlin. The older man felt his insides grow cold. Had he just hinted…had he actually been considering killing them the whole time? When Marlin shot a look at Bonnie this time, he saw the same worry in her eyes.

"You haven't forgotten then," Selim muttered. "Good."

"Forgotten what?" Janet asked, on the verge of tears again.

"Why are you here, really?" Bonnie asked, her voice low but angry. "Not here at the hotel, but here talking to us. You sought us out. Why?"

Selim turned and started at her for a few moments then shrugged. "Truthfully, I came to warn you off of going in there. The last thing I need is you humans screwing up my plans…again." That last part he muttered under his breath bitterly, as if in after thought.

"H-humans?" Janet squeaked. "B-but what—"

"However, I am beginning to think that perhaps a distraction is in order."

"No," Marlin said, folding his arms and glaring down at the boy.

Selim's expression grew cold again. "What?" he asked.

"We are not acting as a distraction. We came here to rescue her brother and that's what we're going to do."

Selim frowned as he studied Marlin for a moment before waving his hand in exasperation. "Fine," he said. "I'll just have to find another way." He stood and scanned the area before stalking over to a corner, regarding it with a fair amount of disgust, and then turning and sitting in it. Then he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"I would recommend you don't approach me until I move."

"Why not?" Janet asked, her voice edgy and defiant.

Selim opened his eyes and regarded her coolly. "If you do, then I will not claim responsibility for your deaths."

With that he closed his eyes again and went perfectly still.

"He really meant that, didn't he," Janet whispered.

Marlin glanced at Bonnie again before nodding solemnly.

"What is he?"

"That would take longer to explain than we have time for right now," Bonnie muttered.

"Are we just going to wait for him to…finish doing whatever the heck he's doing?" the younger girl asked angrily.

"Yes," Bonnie answered without hesitation.

"Why? And doesn't that give you enough time to tell me?!"

"Because he's our best chance at getting in and out successfully," Marlin said quietly.

"And no, it doesn't give us enough time," Bonnie added on.

Janet looked like she wanted to scream. "I really think I deserve to know what's going on," she said angrily. "That's my brother in there! If I'm going in to save him with some creepy stranger then I should know what I'm getting into!"

"Shh!" Bonnie said in warning. The other girl's voice hadn't risen to a point of the officers hearing, but it was getting there.

"Well?" Janet asked, still angry and expectant.

Marlin sighed and nodded at Bonnie.

Bonnie shot him a glare. "No he's not completely human. Yes, he's dangerous and you should be careful around him. Yes he has his own agenda and everything else is his secret to tell, not ours."

Janet glanced at the still figure again before turning back to Marlin and Bonnie. "Do you trust him?"

This time Marlin and Bonnie didn't need to look at each other. He nodded again, firmly.

"Yes," Bonnie said. "We do."

"Why?"

Bonnie looked at Janet thoughtfully. "Because he's never given us a reason not to."

"He's never lied to you?"

It was Marlin that answered this time. "Everyone has their secrets. Thing is, he had a chance to…well, do something that would not have been good for us, but it would have benefited him and we had no idea. He didn't do it. Instead, he played the martyr and tried to save us."

"That's what benefited me most at that moment," Selim spoke up. He still hadn't moved. "Don't flatter yourselves," he continued.

Marlin couldn't help but smile. The kid was trying pretty hard to convince himself. Maybe it was just Marlin wanting it to be true, but he could have sworn he'd heard affection in the kid's voice.

"Now will you all please be quiet and let me concentrate?" Selim spoke again.

"Whatever you say, kid," Marlin said, nodding at Janet. She still looked frustrated, but she also deflated and shook her head.

"Fine. If you guys trust him, than I will too."

No one said anything for a long time after that.


	19. Chapter 19

The girl, Janet if Selim remembered correctly, seemed to be a walking history text on the Mahnion Hotel. The group had discovered this when Marlin had asked if Janet knew any history about their target. She did indeed and was more than happy to share with them. Unfortunately, it seemed that was all she knew about it.

The actual building had been constructed over a century before and had stood as an elegant statement of New Optain's general upper-class caliber, or that's what the most recent owners had stated when they'd bought the old building more than two decades ago. It had been a renovation project, one that had been rather successful as it had gone from a nearly-condemned building to a five-star hotel that tended to attract well-off customers…which was why it had been a target. It hadn't exactly been a hidden fact that many of the upper-class families who had evacuated to New Optain had taken rooms at the hotel. No one had thought to look past the current security because it had already been fairly good. Just…not good enough.

Now, as Selim crawled through the abandoned tunnel that would take them to the basement of the hotel, he could see why someone might have missed this particular area of security and why such entries could be appealing to a covert group. According to Janet, the hotel had been a major part of the Underground a hundred and thirty or so years ago. Selim remembered that time. Some laws had been passed that the general populace didn't agree with concerning the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Those laws had been implemented to create contention and were a major factor in one of the later wars, although the pathetic humans couldn't see it at the time. Before those laws were repealed almost a decade later, there had been a resistance of sorts that hadn't fought back so much as they'd sneaked around under everyone's noses.

The idea of the hidden tunnels had become more or less a local legend, which was why Janet hadn't brought it up before. No one, it seemed, could prove those tunnels existed. Once she thought about it, however, she began to suspect that someone in the FFO had found one and that's how they had infiltrated the hotel in the first place.

Selim, through his shadows, managed to find a house just outside the barricade's border that had a good number of people with guns guarding what looked like a trap-door of sorts, confirming her theory. He'd immediately retracted his shadows and had then sent them in search of a different passage (and he'd enjoy the memory of the girl realizing his powers for a long while to come).

After that, it was just a matter of time before Selim located another obviously unused trap door in a basement similar to the one the FFO was guarding. Unfortunately, it had taken quite a while to find and the final location had been several blocks away from their position. Getting there unseen had taken most of what was left of the afternoon and what remained of the light was beginning to fade into dusk by the time they'd reached the (thankfully) abandoned house.

From the looks of things, the family that had occupied the home until the military had evacuated them had no idea the entrance even existed. It had taken a combination of Marlin, Bonnie and Selim to lift the heavy, stone door blocking the tunnel.

Of course, that was when Selim had realized that he would be crawling about in a most undignified manner and silently lamented yet another blow to his pride.

"Where's Sloth when you need him," he'd muttered bitterly to himself as he stared down into the cob-web filled hole.

"What?" Bonnie had asked.

"Nothing," he'd responded as he sent his shadows down into the hole. Janet, not trusting Selim and being more than a little afraid of his shadows, had insisted on taking the rear so as to be furthest away from Selim as he led the group now crawling through the tunnel. He'd volunteered to do so partly because he simply didn't want to look at a bunch of human backsides and partly because he would probably have the best chance of opening the door on the other side.

He'd refused to go without some form of light, and so they'd scoured the basement and had come up with an old but still usable lantern that had enough oil in it. Once they managed to light it, a little shadow curving down into a hook from the ceiling was all Selim needed to hold it in front of him as he moved forward.

Now they'd been crawling for…well, far too long in Selim's opinion and he still couldn't see an end. It was a small, dark and enclosed space on top of everything else that had happened, and the more human side of him was not handling it well. He'd been alright in the dome outside the Elric's home because the structure itself had been built and controlled with alchemy, something he understood very well, and he'd had an escape planned if it had proven necessary. He hadn't cared for the box car ride in the dark, but at least it had been larger and more open than this. Right now it was taking all of Selim's will-power to keep himself in check, which meant he was more than a little snappish. Thankfully the group had unanimously decided to remain quiet as they crawled, for whatever reason. It may very well have saved their lives because Selim would not be held responsible for his actions had they asked any pathetically stupid question while he was in that state of mind.

He shook his hand as yet another spider ran across it. That had been something else he hadn't been thrilled about—the abundance of insects and other similar creatures that had made this space their home. He'd taken to stabbing at them with his shadows whenever he could, wishing that they could replenish the energy in his stone. Sadly, even if they could, he doubted their minimal life force would do more than make up for what little energy he'd expended in stabbing them. Still, it released some of the pressure he'd been feeling while allowing a tiny outlet for his frustration as well as providing something to concentrate on besides the darkness.

Glancing over his shoulder, he narrowed his eyes as he speared the arachnid he'd just shaken off and continued to follow his lantern down the passage.

It was several more minutes before he spotted the end, but the relief he felt couldn't have been more palpable when he did. Ahead of him he finally saw a small, wooden doorway with peeling, black paint and an old, rusted handle covered (of course) in cobwebs. As soon as he caught sight of it, he reached out with his shadows to open the door and sped up his pace. The thick strands of black wrapped around the handle, but it wouldn't budge. He frowned. So that meant it was either locked or rusted shut. Extending his shadows into the lock he found the mechanism that would unlock it and it clicked loudly.

"What was that?" Marlin asked, not missing a beat.

"I was unlocking the door," he replied shortly.

"We're there?" Janet asked, relief plain in her voice.

Selim rolled his eyes. "Yes."

"Oh, thank goodness."

It bothered Selim that he agreed with her at all, but he kept that to himself. Once again, he used his shadows to try and open the door. Another soft click sounded, loud in the silent darkness as the door opened. Selim didn't push too far or too hard. If the handle had been that rusted, he didn't even want to try the hinges and risk a creak giving them away to anyone that might be on guard. Heck, the clicks might have already. He sent his shadows through the small crack to observe the other side.

He did hear two muffled voices and through the crack his opening of the door had created he could see a faint light. Allowing a small smirk onto his face, he sent his shadows out and into the more open area. He could see three guards talking to each other. One of them shot a 'fine' over his shoulder as he walked towards the door Selim and his misfit group hid behind.

He sent his shadows to intercept the man but paused when a thought occurred to him. The men, all three of them, had to go. As Pride he wouldn't have hesitated to assimilate their souls into his stone. As Selim Baker he'd look for a way to incapacitate them. As a being that was neither (or both, he still hadn't quite decided) he was at a complete loss.

This was his chance to replenish his stone. These people were the perfect candidates. They had no tie to Selim whatsoever, they would probably not be severely missed once all was said and done, and they would have no idea as to what had hit them.

A tap on his foot had him glancing back at Marlin, who held a hand up in a questioning manor, probably wanting to know why Selim wasn't moving. The homunculus held a finger up to his lips and then held up three before pointing towards the door.

"Is one tall and blond?" Marlin whispered lowly.

Selim blinked and looked at the approaching man through his shadows again. He'd have to come quite a ways across the enormous underground area to find them, but he was steadily and somewhat warily coming closer. Then Selim glanced at the other two and found, to his dismay, that one of the two by the secret door on the other side of the room did indeed have light-colored hair (although he couldn't tell if it was blond in the dim light).

Alright, so he'd have to refrain from killing humans _again_ so as not to alienate the people currently watching his back. Not that he needed them, but they could prove useful. He blatantly ignored the relief he felt at the decision and the tiny thought that said he could probably kill the other two without serious repercussions.

After a moment, he nodded as he glanced over his shoulder at the larger man. "I'll take care of them," he said and quietly sent his shadows to wrap around each of the men slowly and covertly.

By the time they'd realized something was wrong, Selim had practically incapacitated them. He managed to stifle any of their yells of alarm before they'd gotten so much as a peep out and then (as calmly as he could) pushed open the door. It did creak rather loudly and Selim felt satisfied in knowing he'd made the right choice.

He instantly felt better when he set foot inside the large, basement room, even with the old clutter and boxes everywhere. He let out the smallest sigh of relief and turned to face the people crawling out after him.

"We still need to be quiet," he whispered, "but we should be alright for now. The three men are over there. Go and see if one of them is the…person you're looking for." He said it as neutrally as he could. Tensions were high enough as it was. The last thing he needed to do was antagonize people at this point, no matter how difficult not doing so would be. If they as a group got in, got their people and got out, that would be the easiest. Of course, things rarely went that simply, but trust between the four of them would make their chances of success that much higher.

"You go and see, Janet," Marlin said quietly to the girl crawling out. "The fewer people they see, the better."

Janet scowled and looked like she wanted to say something but didn't. After a moment she went stalking over to the struggling group Selim held with his shadows and peered at each of their faces. They didn't seem too happy to see her and started struggling even harder. To her credit, she didn't acknowledge their efforts in the slightest, and after a moment she sighed and shook her head.

"No. None of them are him."

Marlin and Bonnie both nodded their heads, looking grim. Selim simply shrugged and knocked their heads together, hard. He didn't care that he'd likely given them all concussions as that would make it all the harder for them to sound the alarm if they woke up.

"We should get some rope and tie them—" Marlin started but Selim shook his head.

"No, we don't have time. I've rendered them unconscious for now. We should, however, take their weapons and means of contact."

"So all their radios and guns," Marlin considered his words thoughtfully.

"Not only guns are weapons," Bonnie muttered as she walked past them and knelt down by the men. It took her less than five minutes to find most if not all of their weapons and those they decided they couldn't take they threw in a dark corner. They turned the volumes of the radios down and strapped them to their belts. Fortunately they were newer in make and not too bulky. Selim took the gun and knives he'd been offered with a grimace of disgust. Reduced to using _human_ weapons…he really doubted he could recover from sinking to this level of…actually, he couldn't seem to come up with an appropriate word that accurately described lowliness of his current situation.

After that it only took them a few moments to hide the still unconscious men behind some of the clutter and then, with a mutual nod, they approached the stairs leading out of the basement.

Janet may have known about the hotel, but that was about as far as her usefulness went. No one knew the exact layout. Of course this left Selim to lead the group cautiously onto the first floor of the basement. He ignored the feeling of his energy draining as he had to continue to use his shadows. There was no other way around it, really. They needed the foresight his shadows gave. The lavish halls seemed to be rather empty though. Either the guards had all gone on patrol or they'd been spread thinner than originally thought. Either way, no one was about to look a gift-horse in the mouth.

"Look for hostages," Janet whispered from somewhere behind him. "Barton will probably be guarding them."

Selim allowed himself the luxury of rolling his eyes. He was looking for a hostage himself, after all. Stupid, greedy humans.

"Then I'm going to need a safe room to work from so I can scout and map the hotel."

"Will any room work?" Marlin asked.

Selim shrugged.

"Then let's just go in this one right here," he said, pointing to the nearest room, a number 132.

It took Selim all of three seconds to slide his shadows through the crack on the floor and open the door from the inside. All of them slipped in and shut the door quietly behind them. The room had apparently been occupied because belongings and suitcases had been scattered and left everywhere. Ignoring it all, Selim situated himself on a bed and lay down, getting comfortable. It wouldn't replenish his already worrisome energy supplies, but it might help a little.

"Don't touch me until I move," he said.

"Again?" Janet sighed. Selim refrained from responding to the impatient girl. She wasn't worth it.

As subtly as he could, he sent his shadows out and into the hotel.

The first floor had very few guards patrolling it. Most of the FFO's people had been situated around the entrances. A few sat or paced nervously behind the office desk but no one noticed when Selim slipped a few pieces of paper and some extra pencils away from the desk and brought them back to the room. There, he'd have a few maps to hand out.

The hostages had been separated into two groups. The larger of the two had been shoved into a large sitting room on the third floor. The second, much smaller one consisted of most of the more prominent military family members and had more people guarding them on the fifth and top most floor. Of course he would find Johan and his mother in that group.

He checked to make sure that they seemed unharmed so he wouldn't have to change his plans. Fortunately everyone appeared frightened but healthy.

That was when he saw Clemin. The man was standing a few yards away and discussing something Selim couldn't hear with a few other men. He considered taking Clemin out right then and there. He could…but doing so would sacrifice many hostages because they'd undoubtedly retaliate (probably had orders to start shooting if anything happened to their leader in all truth) and he could not at his current energy level even hope to take all of them out at once.

He glanced over at Johan and his mother. Could he risk it? The homunculus inside of him said he shouldn't care and taking out one of his most hated enemies would definitely be an acceptable exchange for worthless human lives. But he still wanted to ask Johan why…why he'd still wanted to be friends after he'd figured Selim out. The disgusting, human side of him also wanted to save his friend, even if it meant Clemin would escape.

It really came down to understanding. He could understand Clemin. He could predict the man's strategies and knew his motives. He couldn't say the same about Johan. He really just…didn't get it, and the idea that he didn't understand bothered him for some reason he couldn't place.

Annoyed with himself, he grudgingly finished mentally mapping out the top floor and then withdrew his shadows.

Opening his eyes, he glanced around the room and saw the three former FFO members in a quiet discussion in the corner. Dismissing them, he sat up and threw his legs over the side of the bed.

"Selim?" Marlin asked. Selim ignored him and grabbed the paper and pencils his shadows had deposited by the door before heading towards the desk.

"Let me draw out a map and we can come up with a plan," he said dismissively as he pulled out a chair, pushed some of the belongings aside and sat down.

It didn't take him long to draw out a basic map of the floors on each of the different papers and note where the patrols and sentries had been placed.

"Alright," he said, drawing the others out of their conversation again. He frowned and raised a questioning eyebrow at them.

Marlin glanced at his companions before speaking up. "We're discussing as to whether we should help the hostages or the FFO."

"If we help the hostages we'll be helping the government!" Janet hissed angrily.

"And that's better than leaving innocent people to suffer?" Marlin returned just as heatedly.

"Helping the FFO will not help the country at all at this point," Bonnie said with a nod of her head.

"I told you," Janet growled, "we're not here for any stupid ideal! We're here for revenge against the government for what they did to Liore!"

Selim couldn't help his derisive laugh. Everyone turned and looked at him in confused surprise.

"What's so funny?" Janet asked through gritted teeth, hands clenched at her sides but mostly hidden beneath the large, misshape sleeves of her jacket.

"The only man still alive who was a part of planning all of that out is now leading the FFO. I just find the irony entertaining. Humans are so pathetic."

All three of them went from surprise to outright shock, Janet's being the most pronounced.

"Y-you're lying," she stammered angrily after a few seconds.

Selim raised a sardonic eyebrow. "And why, pray tell, would I lie to you? The truth is far more entertaining."

"To get my help! To stop me from joining back with the FFO! To—"

Selim scoffed again. "You overestimate yourself and your usefulness. Typical human."

Janet sputtered as she tried to come up with something else through her anger, but Bonnie cut her off. "What do you mean?"

Selim deadpanned. "Overestimation definition: when—"

"No, about the new leader," Bonnie cut in heatedly.

Selim raised an eyebrow. "It's a long story and we don't have time for it right now."

"Then summarize," Bonnie insisted, hands on her hips.

Selim glanced around at each of them and sighed. They wouldn't let this drop, so he should probably just hurry up and get it over with.

"This country, Amestris, was founded by…someone like me. My father, actually. He set up the government and ran it all from behind the scenes for…well, longer than I've been alive."

"Of course," Janet scoffed. "You're what, 16?"

Selim regarded her coolly. "I'm coming up on my 320th birthday actually."

"Yeah right."

Marlin laid a hand on her shoulder. "He's not lying."

Janet paused, her eyes going wide. "B-but that's not possible!"

"I told you," Selim cut in. "I'm not human."

"What are you then?" she returned.

Selim blinked at her for a moment before deciding that he really didn't have much to lose and shrugged. "A homunculus."

"What's that?"

Selim rolled his eyes, praying to anyone that would listen for patience. "We've gotten a little sidetracked. Ask them later," he nodded to Bonnie and Marlin.

"Actually, we're not really all that sure either," Marlin commented.

The homunculus brought a hand up to the bridge of his nose. "Later. We don't have time. Do you want to know what's going on or not?"

The three exchanged glances, and Janet didn't look like she wanted to drop it, but they did none the less after a stern look from both Marlin and Bonnie.

"To get back to 'summarizing'," he glanced at Bonnie dryly, "human souls can be used as an immense alchemic energy source. My father wanted to use all the souls of the humans in Amestris to become a god."

"What? That's terrible!" Janet shrieked. "It's disgusting! How is that even—"

"Shhh!" Bonnie hissed but neither she nor Marlin looked happy about the revelation either. Janet glanced over at her in acknowledgement, but didn't lose any of her ferocity.

Selim chuckled dryly. "Yes, it is rather disgusting." The homunculus side of him didn't want anything to do with humans, and while he could handle living off of their souls, he would prefer to not have to rely on the disgusting creatures at all. The human side of him was disgusted and disturbed at the very idea and felt for the poor, tortured souls that had been sacrificed for his very existence.

"You can do that too," Marlin said suddenly, drawing Selim's attention. "You can get power from human souls too. That's why you were considering…" Marlin trailed off as he seemed to be putting things together.

"Killing you?" Selim finished for him. "Yes."

"And why didn't you?"

Selim's chest clenched at the question. "Let's not get into that again. I'm still having problems figuring it out."

"You haven't killed anyone yet," Bonnie pointed out.

Selim remained quiet, but he couldn't meet their eyes feeling simultaneously proud and ashamed of that fact.

"And you _trust_ this…thing?!" Janet asked, gesturing wildly to Selim.

"Watch it," he heard himself growl menacingly. "You can quite easily be my first kill in 16 years."

"I don't have to stand for this!" Janet said.

"Janet," Bonnie said, her voice low but it stopped the younger girl none the less. "We need him. His telling us the truth only helps his cause in my eyes."

"How do we know he's telling the truth?!"

"It is not surprising that you would believe what you want to believe and not care about the truth."

"Selim!" Bonnie rounded on him. "You're not helping either your case or your situation by antagonizing her."

Selim shrugged nonchalantly and leaned back in his chair.

"Janet," she said. "The least you owe him is to listen to him. He got us in here when he didn't have to and he hasn't hurt us or anyone else, despite having ample opportunity. Now stop acting like a five year old brat and shut up while he finishes telling us."

Janet scowled, but sat down on the bed with her mouth shut, pouting, but she stayed. Selim ignored her and went on with his story.

"So my father wanted to become a god. He theorized that with enough raw power at the appropriate astrological moment, he could accomplish his goal. He had one of his children spend over a century digging a transmutation circle around the entire country. Then he brought in the government officials so as to create blood seals on certain points in that circle. The more blood spilt, the better. He gave them the locations and they took care of it as they saw fit.

"Liore was one of those places." He shot a look over at Janet. Her shocked and horrified expression said it all. Well, at least she was listening.

"The government officials agreed to be a part of it in exchange for immortality. They all wanted their own philosopher's stones." Selim scoffed. "Pathetic, greedy…" he faded off at the glare Bonnie and Marlin were shooting him. Right, keep on track.

"Clemin was a part of that. Ishval, Liore and Briggs were some of the last blood seals."

A tense silence fell over the room. Even Bonnie looked shocked and more than a little angry. Selim knew the enormity of the plot would be enough to overload their tiny human minds. It had been part of the reason he hadn't wanted to explain.

"And you were a part of it too?" Janet asked finally, her voice quiet and tense.

Selim didn't answer for a moment. "I did what father asked. In my defense I…had little choice. Homunculi are indentured to the person that creates them. My father created me, and my only thoughts were to bring about his goal. I realize now that…"

He stopped and shook his head. "That is beside the point. My father was killed and I was incapacitated by the same person, one Edward Elric," he had to refrain from spitting the name and putting as much hatred as he possibly could into his voice, consequently missing the enlightened glance Bonnie and Marlin exchanged. After a moment he calmed himself and went on. "He and many of the other lower officers in the government at the time figured out my father's plan and tried to stop it. The only man from the higher ranks of the time that survived was one Brigadier General Clemin—the man currently leading the FFO.

"Oh, and as a final note, the current Fuhrer, Olivier Armstrong, was one of those people fighting against us. So by helping the FFO as it is now, you are not only enabling the people that destroyed your lives, as it were, but you are hindering those working against them.

"See the irony?"

"You're lying," Janet said again.

"No," Marlin said as he sat down, "he's not."

"How do you know?"

"Because it makes sense…and it confirms some other facts we've discovered," he responded. Even Bonnie looked overwhelmed and sick at the overload of information they'd just received.

Janet put one hand over her stomach and one hand to her mouth. "I've been… _helping_ them?"

"I…we really had no idea…did we," Bonnie said quietly.

Selim looked down. "That was the point."

"Alright, I'll help free the prisoners," Marlin said. "Just tell me what to do."

"And I," Bonnie said quietly.

Selim nodded to them. Then the turned and looked at Janet who didn't say anything for several seconds. Finally she looked up, tears in her eyes.

"I just want to save my brother."

Selim sighed and conceded the point. It was really the best he could reasonably hope for. Not that he really needed their help, but still, it felt good to not have to watch his back. It also felt good to know that he could keep an eye on these people and incorporate them into his plan instead of having them go off half-cocked on their own.

"When you find him," he suggested, "tell him about Clemin. Leave me out of it. Leave the homunculi out of it. It will take too long to explain and probably only confuse him more. Simply say that Marlin and Bonnie came across the information that Clemin was responsible for Liore and you may be able to convince him."

Janet stared at him for several seconds before nodding and looking away, obviously still trying to work through her shock. "Alright," she said, her voice barely above a low whisper, "I'm in."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special Thanks to Gamoden (my Beta) and Shade 40 for pointing out a few problem areas.


	20. Chapter 20

Coming up with and agreeing on an actual plan to get to and rescue their respective people was no simple feat. The first thing they did was go over the map Selim had roughly drawn of each floor of the hotel. The bottom two floors had three halls the length of the building—one on the east and west sides each, and one down the center. Each hallway was lined on both sides with rooms. On each end of the building, another hallway connected the three length-wise halls to form two large, rectangles.

The bottom most lobby, located on the east side of the hotel, had been built for elegance. Large and opulent, it encompassed space on the first and second floors. The FFO had chosen two groups of two to patrol these halls, apparently having decided that their plan would work the best with a fair amount of 'sentries' situated in the main lobby (not in plain sight of the door). They also had a small group of three people guarding the outside doors. The basement had let them into the center hall before they'd taken a room.

The next two floors up each had just two hallways the length of the building lined with rooms (except for the small, lavishly furnished common rooms serving as sitting rooms stacked over the larger lobby of the first and second floor) and one smaller hallway connecting both of the longer passages together. The Fifth floor was the same size as the two below it, but instead of the smaller, more mundane rooms, those on the top floor were larger and each connected to the outside wall on the west side of the hotel, and most of them had balconies as well.

Most of the sentries had been concentrated on the third and fifth floors as they seemed to not want to take any chances with the gathered hostages.

After establishing all of this information, the group had brainstormed for a good 20 minutes, but almost all the suggestions had serious flaws or unknowns and were usually shot down by the others, although they did set a few ideas aside as having _some_ potential. The three former FFO members were the main participants in the debate. Selim rarely voiced his thoughts, and usually only when asked.

Their situation boiled down to the fact that Selim didn't have the power to take more than two or three people out at once unless he ate someone (which they strictly forbade, much to his consternation) or wanted to severely limit his future options and power. However, he was positive he could take out every enemy in the building if he limited the number of people he attacked at once, even if it would exhaust him severely.

Still, it was how they would accomplish their task that no one could agree on. If they tried to lure members and guards off one or two at a time to deal with, they had no doubt the FFO would catch on. Members and hostages alike would start to notice if people went off and didn't come back. Their best bet was to take out the opposition quickly and quietly while not giving them a chance or reason to report in. Selim had seen them using their radios on a fairly regular basis when he'd been scoping out the building, although they seemed to contact each other on a need-to basis only. Really, they were lucky they hadn't been caught for taking the people in the basement out. It was also only a matter of time before those members' missing status would be noticed. Selim guessed that the men had been placed to be glorified messengers; in a position to contact people if either the terrorists in the hotel or guarding the entrance to the secret tunnel needed something or other, but not someone either side would check in with regularly.

That particular stroke of luck seemed to fill their quota for the day because they couldn't seem to catch another break. Selim had been quick to inform them that the stair cases were regularly patrolled and the elevators had guards on the first, third and fifth floors, both those for service and those for guests. The outside of the building was being watched by the government—currently unfriendly towards if not outright enemies of everyone in their little group—so they couldn't climb up the exterior moldings or use a fire escape.

On top of that, no one could safely impersonate a guard or patrolman for an extended length of time either. Bonnie and Marlin were well known for having left the group according to Janet, and there was no way of telling if word of Janet's own defection/abandonment had spread as well without potentially showing too much of their hand. Selim would be the ideal person to try such an endeavor, but there was also no telling if he, as a completely anonymous person, would be recognized for an infiltrator or not. They knew they'd have to impersonate someone at some point, but they didn't know if they'd have to take care of anyone who saw them or if they could pass by unseen. They were leaning towards the latter, which just made their self-appointed tasks all the more difficult.

After several minutes, the four of them fell into silence as they contemplated their rather limited options.

Selim had taken to studying the ventilation systems, but had already dismissed them as means to get through the building. They were far too small for anyone of their group to fit comfortably, and that included him. There was no way to tell if the pipes would get smaller or larger elsewhere and he had no particular urge to squeeze himself into an even tighter darkness than the stupid tunnel they'd used to get into the hotel.

He had one final option that he was considering, although he hadn't voiced it yet. Still, it seemed viable, if potentially messy, and he had no doubt he could do it easily. They could get to the third floor, check to see if anyone on guard was Janet's idiot brother, and continue on up as necessary. The idea had merit.

"So what do we do?" Janet asked quietly.

Selim took that as his cue. "We go through the ceiling," he said.

Everyone turned to look at him blankly.

"What?" Bonnie asked.

Selim pointed up, his expression dry. "The ceiling. I can carve a hole quietly enough, and if we put it right over the bed, we shouldn't run into more than the occasional electric wire."

"Go through the roof…?" Janet asked, rather dumbly in Selim's opinion.

The homunculus rolled his eyes. "Seeing as it will be the fastest and easiest way to overcome the obstacles we have seemingly run into, yes."

The three humans turned and stared at each other for several seconds, silently asking each other if Selim's unorthodox solution really did solve most if not all of their problems. The ceilings were low enough that it wouldn't be too difficult to crawl up and through whatever hole he made and if anyone of them did have a problem, they could take what time they needed to help that person up.

"Well that's…different," Marlin said slowly. Then he seemed to accept it as he shrugged and stood. "Sounds fine to me."

"How can you knock a hole in the roof quietly enough so no one will hear you?" Janet asked skeptically. "I don't think any of us are alchemists."

Selim stared at her with a dead-panned expression that quite nicely portrayed his annoyance as he commanded his shadows to carve a perfect circle above the bed without letting so much as a grain of rubble fall. He then lowered the layers of wood, carpet, insulation and sheetrock to the ground, only having made the barest of noises.

Janet looked shocked, Marlin whistled his own surprised appreciation and even Bonnie seemed impressed, although she hid it well. Selim couldn't help but smirk a little. They really made showing his superiority too easy sometimes.

He did have to use his shadows to swing himself up and into the hole. Janet was the shortest person there but Selim wasn't more than an inch taller than her. Marlin would undoubtedly help the girl, but Selim didn't want to have to stoop any lower than he already had and was determined to get to the next floor on his own.

There was a bed directly over Selim when he poked his head up and through the floor. He had to get his shadows to move it before he could lever himself up and onto the carpet, but the work necessary really was only minimal.

A few seconds later, Bonnie joined him, and then Janet and finally Marlin. By the time all four of them had gotten into the second room, Selim had already carved a hole in that ceiling and was in the process of pushing the bed back into place. They then repeated their actions of getting to the next floor.

Selim had already carved the third hole leading to the fourth floor when Janet spoke up uncertainly.

"Wait, what about the hostages on this floor?"

"What about them?" Selim asked.

"My brother could be out there!"

The homunculus paused and turned to stare at the girl. "And what do you suggest we do?"

"Go out there and see!"

Selim took a deep, calming breath. Why had he agreed to let these people come again?

Annoyed, he turned to glance at Marlin and Bonnie who seemed to interpret his 'please deal with the stupid person because I don't have the patience' look because Marlin stepped towards Janet.

"The problem is, if we just walk out, we'll be in plain view of most of the guards."

"So we go through the walls like we're going through the ceilings!"

"And then what? Jump out and surprise them?" Selim asked acidly. "Any serious action on our part will put the hostages on the top floor in danger, and that will undermine my reason for coming on this ridiculous 'rescue mission'."

"So you're saying your hostage is more important than my brother?!" Janet hissed.

"As humans go," Selim shot back.

"Enough!" Marlin said firmly. He hadn't raised his voice much, but he got their attention. Funnily enough, Bonnie seemed to find the whole situation amusing if a bit annoying as she seemed happy enough to sit back and watch the other three argue.

"Look," the older man turned to Selim, "the only reason Janet's here is to save her brother. You agreed to that when you let her come. So it's only fair that we at least try to see if Barton's out there."

Selim knew he looked like he'd swallowed something sour, but he conceded the point. "Very well. What do you suggest?"

"You said that there are more hostages but fewer guards on this level than the top floor, right?" Selim nodded, beginning to see where Marlin was taking this. "How many can you take out at once and still have enough energy left over for your own plan with the upper level hostages?"

The homunculus regarded the man with a new appreciation for a few moments before answering. "Five, maybe six."

"How many did you see out there?"

Selim closed his eyes and tried to remember. "Eight guards but they also have fairly regular patrols in pairs."

"Can you predict when the patrols will come by?"

A small smile found its way onto Selim's face. "Yes."

"And they'll come by here, right?" Again Selim nodded in affirmation.

"By the time they pass this room, they will have passed the main group of hostages as well."

"Lucky us," Marlin grinned, his smile just a bit feral. "Well then, let's grab them one group at a time."

"Then once we take the patrols out," Janet said as she caught on, "we'll be able to sneak up on them! Just walk up like we're on patrol ourselves. Of course we'll need some disguises but that shouldn't be too difficult. We already have some of the weapons they carried…"

"Then we can smuggle the hostages out through here. Just get them out the way we came in," Marlin said with a nod, his grin growing. "And we don't have to worry too much about someone getting out an alarm if we do it right. We may need a distraction for when we grab the patrols though. The guards will be able to see us if we're not careful, right?"

"Leave that to me," Selim said as he sent his shadows out. It seemed they were in luck because a patrol was on its way down the hall at that very moment. It would take them more than a couple of minutes to get to the end of the hall near the room they were in, but they could put their plan into motion almost immediately. Selim couldn't help but feel relieved. The last thing he wanted to be was cooped up in a tiny room with annoying humans fraying at his nerves. He'd already had plenty of that, thank you very much.

He let the others know about the approaching couple and told them to open the door as quietly as they could. They did so, hardly making a noise and not letting the heavy oak swing in more than a crack. Selim had already begun to wind his shadows up their legs and body, and at just the right moment, he caused his third tendril of shadow to race down the hall and prod a hostage sharply, causing them to cry out. It had the affect of drawing the guard's attentions and the FFO members approached the woman Selim had targeted. Even the patrols turned, giving the people in the room ample opportunity to open the door, leap out and grab the men. Marlin placed a hand over one of the men's mouths and Selim let the shadows on that man fall immediately, instead focusing on strapping a shadow around the other man's mouth and dragging him in.

After some scuffling, they managed to incapacitate the men by tying them up with a bed sheet and gagging them with washcloths Janet and Bonnie had found in the bathroom. Between Marlin's size and Selim's shadows, neither one of the men really had a chance to thrash much.

"We may need more bed sheets…or rope or something," Bonnie muttered as she finished tying one of the men up.

Selim shrugged and stripped the bed sheets from the room below. He also found a few spares in the closet. Meanwhile, he'd been monitoring the situation with the hostages, and while the guards had scared the woman who he'd prodded, they ultimately left her alone, and they hadn't seen the abduction of their two comrades.

Perfect.

It took almost ten minutes for the next patrol to come by. In that time, Selim had put forth the idea that they could easily sneak out and take care of the stairwell guards on this level before they approached the hostage group. That way they had a much reduced chance of anyone hearing if something went wrong with the main concentration of FFO members. They also figured that they should take the group on this floor out before they attempted anything with the fifth floor whether they caught Janet's brother in the patrols or not.

"The less we have to worry about reinforcements or other hostages dying, the better," Marlin said.

Selim rolled his eyes and conceded with a wave of his hand as the other one was on the doorknob as he crouched, getting ready to swing the heavy wood in so Marlin could grab the guards. "Fine whatever. Get ready…go for the one on the left…"

He chose a different person to prod this time, but it had much the same effect. No one noticed the renegade group grabbing the FFO members on patrol, nor did they see Selim and Janet rushed out and around the corner to take the patrol's place.

At the end of the hall they saw the guards near the stairwell look up to them as they appeared and nodded at them. Selim nodded back and they kept walking, calmly striding towards them. He'd proposed the idea of approaching the men so he would be closer to them when he incapacitated them as it would use as little power as possible, and he had begun to look for ways to save even the smallest amount of energy. A few minutes later, Selim and Janet were rushing back to the room with the two men dragging behind them, both tied in Selim's shadows. There had been an elevator by those stairs, and there would be in the opposite corner as well, but the main elevator would be in the lobby area where the hostages were. Apparently they'd figured that the guards for the stairs would be good enough for the minor elevators as well and the larger group was right by the elevator there. All the better for Selim and his little group.

It simply took another prod at a hostage for another distraction to take place, allowing Selim, Janet and their hostages back into the room.

By this point, Selim had really begun to feel the drain on his energy and was more than grateful when he sat down on the edge of one of the beds for a moment, releasing the other two men to Bonnie and Marlin who took care of them in short order.

"Are you alright?" Janet asked Selim, sounding torn between smug and worried.

"Fine," he responded. "Just a little hungry…"

"There's a refrigerator over there," she said, pointing to a corner. Selim blinked and turned around wondering how he could have missed something like that, and he did indeed see a miniature refrigerator in the room. It had been a fairly recent invention and having something like that in the hotel room spoke volumes of the high-class quality the owners had gone for.

There wasn't much in the fridge, just a few leftovers that the people staying in the room would probably have given to their dog or something, but even that small portion helped Selim immensely. His shadows had the entire thing completely cleaned out in seconds.

"Just a little hungry?" Marlin asked, a small (if slightly uncomfortable) grin on his face.

"You try and control shadows the way I do and see how well you fare," Selim muttered as he finished devouring the food, leaving only plates behind. Thanks to Gluttony, he could even digest the bones, breaking them into energy much more quickly than he would have been able to otherwise. He wondered if he could eat anything else that wouldn't cause a fuss at the moment. Did it have to be organic? He distinctly remembered Gluttony eating a great deal of non-organic things…

"The next patrol should be by soon," Bonnie said, breaking through Selim's thoughts.

"It's the last one, right?" Marlin asked Selim, who nodded. "Then we can take care of the other staircase and finish on this floor."

"Sounds good," Janet said.

Selim was surprised at just how much better he felt with food in him. He realized that he hadn't actually had anything to eat since before his little train ride with the Elrics. And with half of him being Gluttony…no wonder he'd been on the verge of collapse so much sooner than he'd expected. As Pride, he'd never really had to eat to survive. He wasn't sure he liked the connotation but didn't have time for his pathetic internal debate at the moment and so pushed the thought aside.

"Are they coming?" Marlin asked from where he crouched by the door. Selim blinked at him for a moment before realizing he was talking about the patrol and he immediately sent his shadows out. Upon doing so, he realized the patrol had almost reached their room.

"Take the left again," Selim said as he too hurried over to the entrance. "They're almost here…"

He sent a shadow rushing down to make a distraction for the hostage guards once again. This time, he simply went for the window and knocked on it with his shadow. They had lowered the drapes so no one could see in so they shouldn't be able to notice his shadow. It was easier than choosing a hostage he hadn't already targeted, and he suspected that they were getting used to the hostages crying out anyway.

It worked well enough as a distraction and they grabbed the last group walking by without anyone seeing. Selim was really appreciating their luck so far, but having everything work out so well just seemed…wrong. It put his nerves on edge.

Once they had finished restraining their most recent hostages, Selim and Janet hurried down the hall in silence heading towards the final set of guards. It only took a few minutes to take them out without any fuss.

The room was getting rather full of FFO members, and unfortunately, none of them had been Barton. Bonnie had stuffed two into the closet, a few into the bathroom, and then just stuck the others at random intervals near the walls, carefully unplugging any nearby chords and moving anything they could even remotely somehow use to get themselves free.

Selim had to admit, they were good.

Once they'd returned after clearing the final duo of guards, Marlin outlined what they needed to do to surround the guards in the lobby. Bonnie had stripped one of the men of their jacket and pants and was now wearing that along with a hat she'd gotten from one of the others. She'd even taken off her sunglasses as they made her look more suspicious than ever. She rather effectively looked like a completely different person. Marlin had wrapped her scarf around his neck and had taken to wearing her glasses. It wasn't perfect, but it would work to buy them a few minutes.

They would run around to the other side and pose as a patrol. Then Selim and Janet would come from the opposite end and comment that they may have found another guest who had somehow been able to remain hidden and ask for help. Bonnie and Marlin would take as many as three quietly while Selim used his shadows to freeze the other guards in the room in place.

"Are you sure you can handle it?" Marlin asked one final time as he and Bonnie made to leave.

"Yes," Selim said with a roll of his eyes. "Now go."

This time he prodded one of the guard's ankles as a distraction. With any luck, they'd think it was a mouse or something. Humans were always looking for a good excuse for things they couldn't explain.

Selim watched Bonnie and Marlin turn the corner at the other end of the hall, walking far more calmly than just running the length of the hotel would suggest. They didn't even look like they were breathing heavily. The guards had glanced over at them when they'd appeared and Selim took the time to drag Janet out the door. They waited for a few seconds before they hurried towards the guards, who must have noticed them coming as the FFO members they could see turned their attention to Selim and Janet, either ignoring Marlin and Bonnie or they hadn't seen them yet.

"What's wrong?" one woman, probably the leader of this particular group, asked as they rushed up.

"We heard something in one of the rooms," Selim said in a rush. It wasn't easy for him to focus on the words and sneak thin lines of his shadows out to wrap around the guards in the room, but he did it. They hadn't wanted to risk Janet talking and being recognized. "We figured we should check in before we did anything."

The woman looked a little skeptical but reached for her radio. As she did so, Bonnie swept her feet out from under her and had somehow knocked her out within a few seconds.

The hostages, jumpy as they were, had let out some gasps and a few quiet shrieks, thankfully nothing had been loud enough as of yet that anyone on another floor would hear.

Behind Bonnie, Marlin held the other guy as he struggled and Selim gritted his teeth. "I've got the rest of them, but hurry."

"Barton!" Janet exclaimed, looking to one of the other guards in the room.

Selim almost melted in relief. He wouldn't have to put up with the frustrating girl anymore.

Bonnie stood and held her hands out towards the hostages. "Please calm down," she said firmly. "Yes we're here to rescue you and no," she said that just a little louder as people began to let out cries of relief, "you still can't make any noise. There's another group of hostages and there are still FFO members in the building who would gladly take pot-shots at you. If you want to live, you will follow me, _quietly_ and do exactly as I say, understood?"

Several people around the room nodded and while some of them were whispering quietly to their children and other hostages, they seemed to be of sound enough mind to quiet down. Apparently, the FFO had released all of the mothers of very young children or babies already, probably just because they didn't want to deal with them. It would also have put the military at ease and encouraged discussions pertaining to compromises.

"No one can run. We're going to walk very calmly and quietly down to the room at the end of the hall. We have an escape route for you, but one mistake could get _all_ of us killed. There is a hole in the floor. We will lower people down to the next room where everyone will wait, _quietly_ ," apparently she knew about the stupidity of general masses and how idiotic humans could be. Selim found himself impressed as she continued, although he really wished she'd hurry. Holding six struggling people like that was not easy. "As in keep whispers to a minimum and if anyone starts to get loud they'll have to deal with me…or him," she pointed to Marlin who had thankfully knocked out the guy he'd grabbed before and had begun to make his way around the room to the different guards.

As if on cue, one of the former hostages spoke up. "What's holding them in place?" the woman asked, pointing to the guards uneasily.

"We have an alchemist here," Bonnie said with a shrug. "He's incapacitated them for the most part. Now, in an _orderly_ single file, we're going to get everyone out. Remember, quiet or we'll leave you behind." With that final threat, she nodded to the first few people and began to walk quickly but calmly down the hall. Thankfully, the idiotic humans listened and followed just as quickly and quietly for the most part.

Marlin didn't skip Barton. He walked right up behind him and knocked him out with a jab to the base of his neck.

"What did you do that for?!" Janet hissed worriedly, rushing over to her brother.

"We'll get him out now, but we need him to come quietly," Marlin said without looking back as he walked up to the next person Selim was holding with his shadows, a woman whom he incapacitated the same way. Selim let her fall immediately, just as he had with everyone else. It had begun to get more difficult to control his shadows. He wasn't sure he had it in him for more than a couple more major moves like that…if he was lucky. He needed to rest for now and see if he could recover any strength, so he would wait until they'd gotten everyone out before he continued up to the fifth floor.

On the bright side, now all he had to do was focus on getting to Johan.

xXx

Mandy sat numbly in her chair in an out-of-the-way corner of the temporary headquarters the military had set up. At the moment, she really didn't know what to think. Half of her mind was in Seventh Heaven. Major General Mustang had asked for her personally to come assist with this mess (well, 'assist' was probably a little too inclusive as he just seemed to want her around to do odd jobs here and there and be a gopher for the most part but still…) not to mention she'd been able to talk (very briefly) to Edward and Alphonse Elric, two of every young alchemist's heroes! No one was going to believe her when she told her usual squad mates!

On the other hand, half of her mind was on Selim like it had been for the last two weeks…well, since she'd rescued him really. She'd figured that that had been her reason for being here, in case he showed up again, because she'd been close to him and could supposedly give insight on his current mind set. She'd been briefed on him and his…well, existence—for lack of a better word—after he'd escaped the train. She knew they'd left out a lot of details, but what she did know about him now boggled her mind.

He was an artificial being created by alchemy and had lived for 300 years. _300!_ Which made no sense at all whatsoever because he'd always seemed so… _young_ and human, even in his strange maturity. And if that wasn't unbelievable enough, he'd lost all of his memories on the day of the eclipse fifteen years ago and had been 're-raised', so to speak, as a normal, human boy. Who in their right mind would do something like that? Apparently Selim's mother, but she was still having a hard time absorbing that.

Admittedly she'd been told when she'd reported in while he slept at Risembool all the way back on that third or fourth day after meeting him (and had been told in no uncertain terms to keep an eye on him and keep him away from the Elrics—which had been why she'd lied to him about them having gone to Xing) that he was dangerous and that he'd lost his memories, but it had been so hard to imagine sweet, little, annoying Selim to be anything other than a curious, cautiously rebellious teenager who needed help.

She'd been wary after that (part of the reason for the offense she'd taken at the Risembool train station) not willing to let on that she had indeed lied to him about the Elrics so as not to incur some sort of incredible wrath that he would supposedly unleash on her or whatever. She'd considered forcing him to go home, but doubted at the time that he would take well to her somehow knocking him out or incapacitating him and dragging him back to Central, especially considering what he'd just gone through. Besides, what was wrong with letting the kid learn a few of life's lessons and letting him have a mini adventure? As long as she'd kept an eye on him and kept pushing him back towards Central, she'd felt she'd been doing her job.

Then the whole fiasco in the desert on the way to Xing had happened. That had been the first time she'd been confused by him. He was supposed to be this dangerous person with some strange, special powers. She'd seen him use his shadows then…and it had really freaked her out. But then he'd used them to save her and help her, and then to save the guy on the train…. His actions hadn't meshed at all with what she'd thought a 'monster' should act like. Between his fear of the dark and his determination to find answers, she'd been unable to see anything but good in the kid. She'd even felt no small amount of indignation on his behalf when the Emperor of Xing had locked him up for no good reason.

And then they'd met Mustang…and Selim had changed. Something had happened to frighten him before his trip to Xing, which she suspected was the cause of his recklessness, but the moment he'd seen the Major General he'd gone…cold and defensive. Just before he'd gotten his memories back, she'd finally begun to glimpse the danger that he really represented. Then it had all gone to Hades in a hand basket.

The days after he'd escaped had been a blur of activity that still sent her head in circles. She'd been reprimanded by her usual commanding officer but otherwise no disciplinary action had been taken. As many people in Central had been evacuated, she'd been informed that she would not be leaving New Optain, at which point she'd been given a new barracks and had just settled in when she'd been told that Selim had been found and captured and would be coming to New Optain as a prisoner. They'd wanted her there.

The person she'd seen then hadn't been her Selim…but it hadn't been the monster Pride either. Even when he'd used her (for all intents and purposes) as a meat shield of sorts, he hadn't seemed nearly as malicious as he had been on the train. Actually he seemed to be even more confused than she was at the moment from what he'd said in the alley. And then he'd just released her. When she'd returned, her commanding officers (up to and including Mustang) had been surprised and relieved. Apparently, they hadn't expected to see her again. Thankfully, they seemed just as perplexed (if not more so) than she'd been at the turn of events. Selim had still scared her enough to send her running back to headquarters, but the idea of using lethal force with him had felt wrong then, and it felt wrong now.

A sudden silence in the room drew her from her thoughts and she looked up to see that a messenger of some sort had entered.

"What is it, Lieutenant?" General Mustang asked.

"Sir!" the man said, dropping his salute. "We have reports of liberated hostages! Apparently a small group was able to incapacitate a good number of the guards before leading the hostages to an abandoned tunnel and releasing them."

"Abandoned tunnel?" the Major General said, his voice darker than before.

"Yes, sir!"

"Do you have coordinates for the entrance to this abandoned tunnel?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Do we know who the group that infiltrated the hotel is?"

"No, sir. The hostages seem to be in agreement that their rescuers were not guests at the hotel but they didn't seem to belong to the FFO either."

The dark-haired general seemed to consider this for a moment. "Do the terrorists know about this?"

"Not that we've seen, sir."

"Very well. I will personally lead a squad to the tunnel to infiltrate the hotel. Let the current captain of the squad patrolling the perimeter of the hotel know."

"Sir, yes, sir!" The man said before turning and hurrying out of the room.

After the man had left, General Mustang turned to the Lieutenant at his side. "Inform the men here, we leave immediately. Leave a few guards behind and bring every alchemist. We don't know who or what we'll find in there and I want to be prepared."

"Yes, sir," Lt. Hawkeye said calmly before heading out of the room herself.

After she'd left, the General gave orders to the remaining people in the room, including the Elric brothers.

"Since you are no longer military, you will remain here," he said firmly to the older brother.

"Like I was going to follow you into something like that anyway," he muttered with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Sir," the younger one spoke up a little more tentatively, "are you sure you don't need help?"

"This is a military matter," General Mustang said firmly. The younger man nodded in concession and moved aside.

"Everyone else, with me," he said as he two left the room.

Mandy couldn't help her surprise, but she stood and dutifully followed him out of the room. When he'd said 'everyone else', she'd wondered if she would be an exception. Would he want her to stay here in case Selim showed up again? Apparently he thought this took precedence, though. Determined to not make a fool of herself again, she fell into step with the rest of the group of men following the Flame Alchemist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Alright, so it's a bit wordy. Trust me, it was needed.
> 
> Shout out to Shade40 and Gamoden for their help with this chapter! I could not have done it without them!


	21. Chapter 21

The more Selim thought about getting to Johan, the more he disliked the situation he'd found himself in…which said wholly too little to fully encompass the magnitude of his rapidly growing contempt. Quite simply, no matter how he changed their original plan, he knew that what they'd enacted for the hostages on the third floor would not work for the hostages on the fifth floor. There were just too many guards. Not to mention he knew Clemin and the higher-ups were there too and Clemin at least would be much harder to fool or trick than his lackeys on the lower floor had been.

On a similar note, he had to admit that he was also looking for a way to take Clemin out at the same time he rescued Johan. Kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. But his priority (albeit barely) was to talk to Johan first. He still needed to know...Johan's actions seemed to make even less sense now than they had before.

Maybe his mind was having difficulty processing everything because of his depleted energy. He'd sent his shadows to search for more food with little success. What his shadows did find helped immensely, but how quickly his energy had drained was a cause for concern. Still, he could be grateful that he hadn't been coerced into helping the hostages actually escape or in assisting Bonnie, Marlin and Janet with binding the hands and feet of the unconscious guards. Instead, the others had been happy to leave him to rest and think about Johan and what exactly he would ask the boy.

Coming up with questions was surprisingly difficult. The reason as to why he'd even gone through all this trouble to confront his (former?) friend had never been concrete. He just didn't know why Johan had done what he'd done, and even now he could not even begin to figure it out. What had been the boy's reasons? Of course, maybe Selim had just been dealing with a stupid human who didn't know any better…. But Johan wasn't a stupid sheep like the rest of the masses of humanity tended to be. He was lazy, perhaps, but not as mentally challenged as most of the people Selim had been unfortunate enough to meet. No matter how Selim tried, he just couldn't seem to put his former friend into the same category he'd put other humans into for centuries…and worse, he could _not_ figure out _why._

His shadows found another forgotten meal on the floor above them and they attacked it with relish. He felt the energy boost almost immediately and nodded in satisfaction. It wasn't a lot, but he'd take what he could get. Apparently his body could turn a lot more into food than he'd originally thought. It was a strange concept and he couldn't help but wonder why his body was working in such a way now as he didn't remember it ever having done so as Pride. Perhaps he'd simply adapted out of necessity? He'd only had the energy of one soul (at most) to rely on in the last fifteen years after all, and after having his stone drained…well, he had to get the energy to maintain his body from somewhere.

"Hey," Marlin's voice drew him out of his thoughts and he glanced up to look up at the man. Behind him, Selim could see Bonnie jogging down the empty hall towards them. "We got everyone out. Took us a while, but we did it."

"Good," Selim said, unconcerned that his voice sounded so uncaring.

"I talked some of the others into helping Janet with Barton," Bonnie said, mainly to Marlin. Selim couldn't be more relieved that he wouldn't ever have to see the frustrating brat again. At least Mandy had been tolerable.

"I can't believe that went as well as it did," Marlin said with a chuckle. Then he turned to Selim. "Alright, so what do we do about the fifth floor?"

The homunculus levered himself to his feet. "' _We'_ do nothing," he said as he stood. "I'll go take care of this myself." He walked past them and down towards the room at the end of the hall where he'd already carved a hole in the ceiling. Consequently, he didn't see the other two frown.

"We're coming with you," Marlin protested, falling into step behind the homunculus.

"No. This is my problem and I'll take care of it," Selim insisted.

"And what, pray tell, are you planning to do?" Bonnie asked heatedly.

Selim slowed for the barest second but continued on without answering or even looking back in acknowledgement. They hadn't missed his hesitation.

"You don't even have a plan, do you?" Marlin accused.

"I'll figure something out," Selim insisted through clenched teeth. They were starting to get on his nerves again.

"Well there's no reason for us to not come with you!" Marlin persisted.

Selim's hands balled into fists. "No!"

"Why not?" Marlin asked angrily.

They reached the door to the rooms they'd used to infiltrate the floor and Selim turned to glare at them. "Why do you want to come? You originally came here to help your 'friend'," he practically sneered at the word, "get her brother. That goal has been accomplished. You no longer have any reason to be here."

"You're a 'friend' too," Bonnie said with a roll of her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Selim froze half-way through the door to the room. Friends? They considered him their friend? What a strange friendship...and yet something inside him greatly appreciated their acknowledgement and leapt for joy. He ruthlessly squashed it. The homunculus, Pride, had no friends. _Especially_ not human friends.

"Do you often make friends with your kidnappees?"

"Selim," Marlin started, his voice weary but determined.

Selim cut him off. "Or monsters? Or in this case, both?"

"No," Bonnie said with a soft snort. "We don't. Consider yourself lucky."

He didn't smile. He didn't. At least he would never admit it aloud. "Lucky? To be cared for by a lowly being such as yourself?"

"Come off it," Bonnie said, and he could just imagine her rolling her eyes. "So you're not human. We get it. Doesn't mean you can't appreciate a decent relationship." He could hear the underlying accusation of 'you do care, no matter what you say'.

"Doesn't it?" Selim found himself saying softly.

After several more silent moments, he finished pushing into the room. Some of the still conscious FFO members that they'd bound had tried to free themselves, judging from their differing positions and the way they froze when Selim walked in. None had succeeded in more than knocking a few tables over though. Selim frowned at them, then turned to glance at Marlin over his shoulder.

"Why didn't you render them unconscious?"

Marlin shifted uncomfortably. "It's a bit dangerous, my method of knocking people out. It isn't _likely_ to seriously hurt someone, but it is possible."

Selim raised an eyebrow. "And yet you used your method on Janet's brother."

The older man frowned. "Well, how else would you propose getting him out of here without a struggle?"

Selim nodded. "I agree. I simply feel that we may benefit from doing the same to these people as well."

Marlin seemed uncomfortable for a moment before he sighed and nodded. "Right. Come on, Bonnie. I might need a bit of help."

The Ishvalan didn't look too happy, but she did as he'd asked. Meanwhile, Selim considered his options again. Even with Bonnie and Marlin he couldn't come up with a decent way to rescue Johan quietly, not without the rest of the FFO getting spooked and checking in only to realize that they'd already been compromised. Then reinforcements would come and it would probably only be a matter of time before someone started shooting…. Yes, he knew humans all too well to think any such attempt would end well.

So if he couldn't do it quietly…. He paused for a moment to chuckle dryly as he asked himself what the old Edward Elric would have done. Or perhaps Greed. Yes, that stung his pride less. He would consider employing tactics that Greed (either one of them) would have approved of.

So his goal at the moment would be to get people out safely. If he got everyone out, he wouldn't have to worry so much about Johan in general and there wouldn't be as many distractions. He could already hear his friend demanding that they couldn't leave without the other hostages and insisting on resolving that problem before he answered any of Selim's questions.

Just fabulous. The last thing he wanted to do was turn into some sort of human-loving superhero, which is what it seemed would happen if he continued to rescue all of these lowlifes. Still, he could see how rescuing everyone would make his future problems, especially with the military, significantly less inconvenient.

So, how could he create a pathway everyone could follow from the fifth floor, through levels that they didn't really have time to clear (he figured they _might_ have time to empty one floor, but he didn't want to take any more chances that might allow their infiltration to be discovered) to the first floor?

An idea began to form in his mind…one that he did not like in the least. It was far too flamboyant and blunt for his liking, but if it worked…

 _If it worked indeed_ , he thought glumly to himself as he turned to check on Bonnie and Marlin's progress. They had succeeded in knocking most of the people out, although a few had been left awake. Either that or the pair hadn't gotten to them yet.

"I have an idea," he said, not liking how uneasy he sounded. "Allow me to explain…"

xXx

Janet had been charged with watching the hostages leave and keeping them quiet. It hadn't been easy. Between the fear and tension of the situation it was a minor miracle that the escapees had been as calm as they had been.

She stood in a relaxed, composed stance while glaring at people to hopefully remind them to keep quiet. Part of her still wasn't happy that she was doing this and felt like she was betraying her friends and family. Uncertainly, she glanced behind her at the prone form of her brother, who Marlin had laid down on the floor by the wall. Would he ever forgive her? He could be so mule-headed sometimes…

Shaking that train of thought from her head, she turned back to the people that made up the last group of escapees. Bonnie had gotten a few level headed people to help keep an eye on each room (and make sure they stayed quiet) as well as a few others to look out for the guards that roamed the first floor. Even trying to stay quiet, a large group of people naturally made a fair amount of noise, so they'd had to wait for the guards to get far enough away before she would let the people into and down the hall that would lead to the basement door.

Despite the general restlessness of the group, they'd managed to do it; they'd kept the general masses quiet enough to get everyone down to the basement, where Bonnie had propped open the door that would lead to the secret tunnel. They made sure to let the people know that one of the two tunnels would lead to certain death as it had FFO members at the other end, and thus they needed to listen carefully and find the correct passage.

Well, it had worked, and now everyone had gotten to the hotel basement and almost everyone had gone into the tunnel that would lead them out.

They only had a few people left actually, and everyone had made fairly steady progression…except for now, she suddenly realized. Why wasn't the line moving? It had taken her a few moments to realize that the row of former hostages was currently at a stand still.

"What's going on?" she asked someone near the front of the line. It was an older gentleman who did not look too happy about going into the tunnel.

"How am I supposed to know?" he snapped back.

Janet frowned at him for a moment before turning and stalking up to the front of the line. "What's going on?" she asked again, this time to the person just inside the lip of the tunnel, a larger woman if Janet saw correctly.

"Just a sec," the woman said. Apparently people further up the line were talking.

Janet was about to call down (as quietly as she could ) to see what the hold-up was when she noticed that the person in front of the woman had begun to move again, albeit slowly. It was a young man. He turned and whispered to the large woman. "Some military men found the secret entrance. They're going to try and get through to here without making us all back out." Even though Janet knew she technically had no problem with the military now she still felt herself blanch.

"That's going to be a tight squeeze," the woman muttered uneasily as the information was passed back.

The other man moved in such a way that suggested a shrug, although Janet couldn't see well enough to tell for sure. "Yeah, but it's that or—" he cut off as a crackling of light sparked from somewhere down the tunnel. Janet felt her stomach begin to churn. Not just soldiers, but alchemists. Oh, this was _so_ not good…except it was supposed to be…and…aarg, this was getting confusing!

The line began to move again and it only took a few minutes to get the last person into the tunnel. Once the last person was climbing in, Janet hurried back to her brother and grabbed his hands, only then realizing that the people who had helped her with her brother before had left her here to make her own way. How fabulously wonderful of them. How was she even supposed to drag her brother down a tunnel by herself?

She managed to get to the lip of the entrance and then turned to peer down the darkened corridor. She could see movement further down, but wasn't sure if it was the military coming towards her, or the last of the hostages heading away. Nervously, she looked around for something that would help her with her brother, but she couldn't see much of anything that would even remotely be of service. She needed something with wheels, a dolly or the bottom of a cart…but there was nothing even close that wasn't already in use.

Figuring she was pretty well screwed anyway, she approached a large stack of old crates and boxes piled high with everything from old lamps to stacks of paper and had begun to move them off of the large cart they were on (one that probably wouldn't even fit, but it was the smallest one that she could see) when a deep voice caused her to jump and gasp.

"Can we be of assistance?"

She whipped around to see a man in a blue, military uniform (obviously an officer) crawl out of the tunnel, only to step aside as more soldiers followed. She gulped and glanced down at Barton, who lay at the man's feet, and then back up at the man, but didn't dare say anything.

Thankfully, the officer seemed to figure out her problem, for he gestured to one of the other soldiers crawling out of the entrance. The girl couldn't have been older than Janet, with dark, curly hair pulled back into a short ponytail. She snapped to attention as soon as her feet hit the ground and turned her undivided attention to the officer.

The man didn't waste any time. "Transmute a rolling board of some sort for the casualty over there," he told her. She nodded in answer and he turned back to Janet. "Does he need medical attention?"

Janet shook her head nervously. "No, he's just knocked out."

The officer nodded and turned back to his subordinate, who had pulled out a piece of chalk. "Have someone escort her back and then come follow us. We're going to scout around and try to move up to the top levels. Be careful and avoid patrols if you can. If you can't, take them out quietly. We still have hostages."

The girl nodded sharply and knelt down to begin her circle.

"Is there anyone else?" the man asked Janet again.

Janet shook her head, figuring that honesty would be the best policy. The way this man carried himself and the way the others just automatically deferred to him made her really not want to be on his bad side. "Just the group of people on the fifth floor. We got everyone else out."

The man paused and studied her as if he really saw her for the first time. "And who is 'we'?"

Janet bit her lip, the nervousness causing an unpleasant feeling in her stomach. "Um, we…uh…used to belong…to the FFO," she muttered. Then, seeing his dark eyes narrow, hurriedly continued. "But then we heard what they were doing and we didn't like the new leader and so we decided to…not help him?" she finished lamely. After a few seconds of silence, she sighed. "We didn't want people to get hurt…not like this."

The man still didn't look impressed. "Stick around for questioning."

Janet frowned, finding his order extremely unfair. They'd come to help after all! And this was how he repaid her? Typical Amestrian leadership. The man turned to the rest of his people before walking past Janet, dismissing her completely. She glared after him as his men followed, trying not to seethe. She had a temper, but she really needed to keep her wits about her if she wanted to make sure Barton would be alright.

The basement emptied, leaving Janet, the alchemist, the other officer and a prone Barton on the floor. Janet just stood there, watching the alchemist work with grinding teeth. The girl had finished with most of the circle and was moving onto the details when she glanced up at Janet and saw the angry expression on her face.

"Why did you join the FFO?" she asked, surprising Janet. Her voice didn't hold any accusation whatsoever. She seemed genuinely curious.

"Huh?"

"The FFO," the girl repeated. "Why did you join them?"

Janet felt her features tense. "I'm from Liore. The military killed my parents. We wanted revenge."

"We?" she asked. Janet glanced over at Barton again and the alchemist seemed to understand.

"Ah. I see." After a moment she seemed to pause. "The people in charge of the government now…they're not like that."

Janet watched the other girl for a few minutes before deflating. "Yeah, I know. Just found out that I was working for one of the men who ordered…." She faded off, not really wanting to talk about it. "I still don't believe in an uncorrupt government."

The girl finished her transmutation circle and looked around for raw material to use. She and the other soldier, who didn't seem to want to say anything, carried some old scrap metal and pipes from one of the corners to the chalk circle. It only took a few moments after that to transmute the metal into little more than a board with wheels and a handle on one side.

"That should do it. You can push or pull him down the tunnel." Janet nodded, feeling far more grateful towards the girl than she had felt towards just about anyone else who had been in the basement with her. "Lieutenant…?" the alchemist faded off with a pointed look at the man who had stayed behind.

"Mishen, sir," the other officer said.

The girl nodded. "Lieutenant Mishen will help you take him back to headquarters. They can look over him there and make sure he'll be alright. He'll also look after you until General Mustang has a chance to question you. Since you helped everyone out and all, I'm pretty sure they'll go easy on you. You'll probably be released by the end of the day."

That did make Janet feel marginally better, although she was worried as to what would happen when Barton woke up. He wouldn't be happy, that was for sure.

"Thanks," she said to the girl, trying not to sound too clipped. She wheeled the cart over to Barton and had the soldier hold the cart still while she dragged her brother onto it.

"Here," the alchemist said, removing a paper from her pocket and putting it on the ground. A few bright flashes of alchemy later and a ramp had risen from the floor.

"Thanks," Janet said again, her tone slightly warmer, and wheeled her brother onto the ramp. The soldier then held him in place while Janet crawled backwards into the tunnel and reached for the handle of the cart. It didn't take long to maneuver Barton into the corridor and begin the long trip of crawling down the tunnel.

"Hey," the alchemist (Janet still didn't know her name) said before they'd gotten very far. "You said you just found out about the guy in charge of the FFO, right? About how he was involved in all of those wars and what not?"

Janet couldn't help another scowl. "Yes."

"How did you find out?"

Her scowl gained a troubled edge. Great. How was she supposed to explain Selim? If she told the truth, she'd sound completely insane. Still, she wasn't all that great at making up excuses on the fly, so she worried her lip, trying to figure out what she could say that would sound believable.

"There was a kid who helped us…he…." She paused, trying to figure out how to word this. "He wasn't part of the FFO, but he…well, he knew things and can do things and…what he said made sense."

The alchemist's face went strangely blank. Janet could see, even in the darkness, that what she'd said meant something to the other girl.

"Did he have a target shape on his forehead? One that looked like a tattoo?"

Janet blinked in surprise. "Yes. You know Selim?"

"Sir!" Mishin said worriedly, whipping around to face the alchemist.

"I'll let General Mustang know when I see him," she said slowly. "You just follow your orders."

"Yes, sir," Mishin acknowledged, although he seemed uneasy.

"Do you know why Selim was here?" Mandy asked, a strange tone in her voice.

"Yeah. He was rescuing a friend."

She could have sworn the girls eyes almost popped out of her head. "He what?!"

Well, that she could understand. "Yeah, he's not really the type, is he?"

The alchemist still seemed shocked. "No…. No he isn't. What…?"

"Sir, we should get going," Mishin said, seeming to snap the girl out of her reverie.

"Right. Be careful and good luck," the alchemist said and turned to leave.

"Oh," Janet said before she could go very far. "There were people guarding the basement, but we just knocked them out. They aren't tied up though, and if they wake up…"

"I'll take care of it," the girl said. "Thanks!"

"Come on," Janet muttered as she slid down the tunnel. "Let's get out of here."

The soldier nodded and began pushing slowly. Janet kept the cart straight while the soldier pushed and they made quiet progress down the tunnel towards freedom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much to Shade40 for beta reading this!
> 
> ALSO! This story now has a TVTropes page! Thanks to my wonderful readers for doing this and I would ask everyone to head over there and make it better! :D We can always use more tropes! tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/AnythingButNormal (without spaces) *is very excited* You guys rock!


	22. Chapter 22

Johannes Browbeat had come to the conclusion that life officially sucked. And it had all started when that guy, Clemin, had attacked Selim. That had been months ago, and life hadn't gotten any better.

When Johan had seen Selim attack the former general with those shadows, he'd tried his hardest not to completely lose it. The whole ordeal had scared him…deeply. Then Selim had freaked out about his status as a human, and Johan had seen how much he'd needed to find out the truth. As a best friend, he'd almost felt obligated to help, even if he'd thought the idea ridiculous at the time.

Then he'd gone looking through the history books. He'd found Selim Bradley easily enough and had looked up information on him. He'd been an orphan and a distant relation from Fuehrer Bradly's side of the family…which was strange as Fuehrer Bradley didn't seem to have a lot of family. At least none that Johan could find.

Perplexed, he'd gone back further in history, and that was when things had started to get really strange. The Fuehrer who had reigned in office two terms before Bradley had also had a young, adopted son who had looked exactly like Selim Bradley. Puzzled and a bit worried, Johan had looked further.

He'd only gone back about a hundred and fifty or so years, but about every other president had had a similar situation and those that didn't would often have large families that would make hiding another child in the midst rather easy. Time and time again Johan found the same face staring out of the history books' pages. Even the paintings from before they'd begun to use cameras had seemed to capture his best friend's likeness hundreds of years before he was 'born'.

Feeling very uneasy, he'd skipped back to the foundation of Amestris. Surely enough, the second Fuehrer had adopted a son. That was when he started believing. He remembered not wanting to look at the creepy evidence anymore and so he'd slammed that book shut. Unfortunately, he hadn't been alone at the time.

Selim, startled by the sudden noise, had asked what was wrong, and Johan remembered wondering what he should tell his friend. Part of him had wanted to discuss what he'd found with Selim and see what he'd thought of the situation, but some part of him had known somehow that such knowledge was dangerous. He'd managed to throw Selim off, and had spent quite a while soul searching after that. He'd just learned that his best friend was some sort of immortal (or at least long-lived) being that had had a hand in the ruling government of Amestris since its conception nearly 400 years before. How exactly was he supposed to take that? Perhaps he really was a homunculus. But then, why didn't he remember it? Some sort of rebirthing cycle? He wasn't sure he _wanted_ to know.

But the more he'd been around Selim, the more he'd realized that it didn't matter. Selim was his friend and he'd never given Johan any reason to believe that that would change. Still, he'd felt it would be prudent to learn more about homunculi, so he'd suggested using his father's library to continue to do research. It was funny, because after that, he'd become just as dedicated to finding out more about his friend as Selim had been.

Of course, then his parents had found his notes when he'd been studying one night, and they'd forbidden Johan from seeing his best friend ever again. He doubted they knew any more than he did, but the idea that Selim wasn't even human had scared them.

Johan loved his parents, he really did, but that had been a blow he'd fought every step of the way. He hadn't even talked to them for weeks after that (even though doing so had landed him with more penalties and chores than ever before). When he finally did begin speaking to them again, they'd fought almost every night.

When Johan's parents had realized that he wasn't going to back down on the subject, they'd begun to cave. Of course, that was when Selim had disappeared. That had been two weeks ago, and Johan had been beside himself with worry. He'd also been rather angry at the universe. He'd finally made progress with his parents and then Selim had vanished. No one, it seemed, had heard anything about him since. Rumors had run rampant at school. Some said he'd run away (Johan had scoffed outright at that as he knew how much Selim loved his mother and visa versa). Others said he'd been kidnapped by the FFO. Still others claimed that he hadn't gone missing at all, but had gone into hiding. Johan hadn't known what to believe, and if his father had known anything, he certainly didn't seem to want to tell.

Then the threat to Central had come and the evacuation started. Johan and his mother had come to stay in New Optain while the situation was sorted out. He'd hated leaving when his life had already seemed so unsteady, but at least they'd be safe.

Well, they were _supposed_ to be in any case. Apparently someone hadn't gotten the memo because now Johan sat next to his very pale mother as they quietly awaited their fate. Hostages. Really? The universe hated him. As if the last few months hadn't been horrible enough already.

He and his mother, along with several other families of higher-ranking officials, had been held in the foyer at the top floor of the hotel, at gun point, for almost an entire day now. The younger children were getting more than restless, but the general atmosphere of outright terror had kept their antics at bay, thankfully. Johan wasn't sure how long that would last.

The worst part about it, though, was the fact that they were being held by Clemin himself. He'd made several appearances and had even recognized Johan. _'Ah, I remember. You're the monster's little friend. How did that work out?'_

Johan hadn't answered with anything other than a scowl that could melt paint off of walls, even when Clemin had just laughed and walked away. Then he'd glanced up at his mother and noted that she looked even more upset than she had before. He sighed. His parents had always been so over-protective. He doubted they'd let him do anything after this.

If they got out of this alive, that was.

Now all they could really do was wait for something to happen. Unfortunately. Johan hated waiting. Especially when he could only sit on the floor. His butt had gone numb hours ago, no matter which way he shifted. Thankfully, the terrorists had allowed some people to sit in chairs or on the couches. Johan's mom had been one of them. Situated in a wooden chair with padded, floral cushions on it, she was at least somewhat comfortable. He still worried about her. She didn't take stressful situations well and she hadn't regained color in her face for almost the entire hostage situation.

"You okay, mom?" he asked, noting her trembling. They hadn't had anything to eat for almost an entire day. His own stomach had growled rather loudly several times. He vaguely wondered if this was how Selim felt all the time. Johan thought he could certainly eat an entire cow or two at the moment

She turned and forced a watery smile at him. "Yes, I'm fine, honey," she said. He could tell she was lying. He doubted she'd be fine for a very long time after this, but he appreciated the thought.

He was about to say something else, hopefully something distracting, when movement on the ground caught his attention. He frowned and looked down. They were situated on the edge of the group and he could have sworn something in the shadow by his mother's chair had moved. He leaned in to take a closer look, when it _moved_. Shrieks and cries of fear rang all around the room as black walls suddenly grew out of the floor, all shooting straight up to the ceiling and essentially separating the hostages from their captors.

"What's going on?" one woman asked, clutching her youngest son to her and bending over her older daughter protectively. Confused murmurs met her question as no one seemed to know the answer.

No one but Johan, that was.

"Selim," he whispered. He knew this. The shadow-walls looked exactly the same as the one that had popped up when he and Selim had met the ex-general.

"What?" his mother asked, her head whipping towards him.

Before he could answer, though, a voice from below called up. "Hurry! Come through here!"

Johan, and everyone else, looked down at a hole that had somehow appeared in the floor.

"What's going on?" one of the men who had been taken hostage demanded over the sounds of muffled, surprised shouts that came from the guards outside the shadow-walls.

"We're here to rescue you," a woman's dry voice answered. "Unless you want to stay hostages, I suggest you all get out."

Johan didn't need to be told twice. "Come on, mom," he said, shooting to his feet and pulling her hand. She allowed him to do so and walked towards the hole in the floor. Their actions seemed to be a sort of cue as everyone else rushed forward.

They started lowering people through the floor, starting with the younger kids and their parents. A feeling of nervous anticipation had settled over the group of hostages, but they didn't crowd much. With their military background, they understood the necessity of doing things in an orderly manner.

"You're next, kid," one of the guys said, motioning for Johan to come forward. With a wary glance up at his mother, and after receiving a confirming nod, he hurried forward and sat on the edge of the hole. One man grabbed his arms and lowered him down. He looked below to see a large man ready to catch him if he fell. He couldn't help but feel reassured.

After a few moments, he was on the floor below standing next to the big man.

"Go that way, to the end of the hall. There's a woman standing there. She'll tell you what to do from here on, alright?"

Johan nodded, but his eyes were fixed on the person sitting in a lotus position on the couch. The big man noticed this and spoke up again.

"Don't worry about him, he's with—"

"Selim!" Johan cut him off, rushing forward.

"I'm concentrating," he ground out in a very un-Selim-like voice. It stopped Johan short.

"Johan?" He heard his mother say from behind him. Apparently she'd been lowered down too. "Johan, what…get away from him!"

The same old frustration he'd been feeling for the last several months rose in his chest and he spun around.

"He's the one who's saving our lives! How can you still think he's some sort of monster or—"

"I am."

Johan stopped short and turned to look back at his best friend. He'd opened his eyes, although he didn't seem to be concentrating any less. They'd changed, Johan realized. It wasn't the strange, purplish tint that was definitely present with the brown (although that did strike him as weird), but the expression on his face…the coldness.

Johan felt his brow furrow in confusion. "Selim?"

"I got my memories back," he said. "All three hundred years of them."

Johan balked and heard his mother gasp from behind him. "But—" he started, but his mother cut him off.

"Johan! Get over here! Now!"

"I have questions I need answered," Selim said, his voice unhurried but firm…almost threatening. His gaze transferred from Johan to his mother. "And they _will_ be answered. You will wait quietly here. Please."

Johan's mother audibly gulped, but she didn't say anymore. After a moment, and several uneasy glances towards Selim, Johan went towards her and stood nervously by her side to wait for the next few minutes as the rest of the hostages were lowered or jumped down through the hole.

xXx

Mandy tried to swallow past the lump in her throat as she ran up the stairs from the basement, pausing at the doorway to make sure that no one hostile was watching it. She'd managed to tie the unconscious guards up and stick something in their mouths so they couldn't call out if they woke up and was now hurrying to catch up to General Mustang. She had to tell him about Selim. What on Earth was _he_ doing here?!

She saw one of the men General Mustang had come up with standing at attention in the corner where two hallways met with his gun in a ready position as he looked down the hall. She noted his rank from the insignia on his arm as she walked towards him.

"Lieutenant!" she said.

"Sir!" he said, saluting her.

"Where did General Mustang go?"

"He wanted to make sure no one would sneak up behind us and went to clear out the first floor and the lobby. If they can do that we can bring in the reinforcements from the current patrol."

She nodded absently and glanced around her. "What were his plans after that?"

"He would move up the floors."

"And did you find out how the hostages were brought down?"

The lieutenant nodded. "Yes, sir. The room just around the corner, number 132, has a hole cut into the ceiling. We believe that is where they came through."

"Impressive," she said with quiet approval. "If General Mustang comes by here let him know that I have reason to believe Selim Baker is here as well. He'll need to know."

The man apparently hadn't heard about Selim at all because he only looked confused, but he nodded nonetheless. "Yes, sir."

Just then, several very muffled but unimstakable bangs came from overhead, echoing eerily down the stairwells. Mandy and the lieutenant exchanged glances.

"Did that sound like gunshots to you?" she asked worriedly.

He nodded. "Yes, sir."

She returned the nod. Apparently General Mustang and his men had already gone up. She turned to rush towards the stairwell but the soft crying of a child had her pausing and looking toward the hallway and the room where the hostages had come from. They saw a woman's head peek around the corner fearfully and practically collapse in relief when she saw them.

"Oh, thank goodness," she almost wept.

Mandy blinked at her for a moment before she rushed forward. "Are you a hostage?" she asked.

The woman nodded. "I was. We were rescued."

"By whom?"

"I don't know," the woman shook her head. "A small group of people, two men and two women."

"What floor were you held on?"

"The fifth floor," the woman said, shifting ever so gently so that she had better support for a sleepy-looking toddler which she otherwise held tightly against her. A young girl clung to her dress. "There were two groups of hostages."

"I see," Mandy nodded, noting someone else sticking their head out of the doorway to room 132 over the woman's shoulder. "Alright, let's get you guys out. This way, quickly."

The woman nodded and followed her down to the basement Mandy had just left as the alchemist explained where to go. Another woman with a child, a boy just slightly older than the girl the first woman had had, came after them. Mandy ushered them into the tunnel and urged them to hurry down the hall, briefly worrying about how the first woman would carry her toddler. The mother assured her she would be able to manage and they set off down the tunnel.

Just as she was turning to go back, another woman and a man with another young boy came hurrying towards her, commenting quietly that the soldier in the hall above had sent them in this direction. She bit back her frustration. Yeah she may not have a whole lot of combat experience, but what if an alchemist was needed? What if _she_ was needed? What if they came across Selim and he attacked them? She wasn't sure she could be of much help, but she could try. She hated just sitting around when she could be somewhere helping.

Still, these people needed some direction, so she stayed to help them and every hostage that came after. Once there were no more children, the people came in shorter intervals and she ended up having to have them form a short line. When they all stopped coming, she gave them instructions to just keep going in an orderly fashion and turned to hurry back up to the hallway.

That was when she caught sight of the entrance to the second hidden tunnel; the one the terrorists had entered through. Someone needed to take care of that. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a fairly basic circle and slapped it against the wall. Seconds later, a set of bars blocked the tunnel's entrance. She smiled grimly, satisfied that no one would be able to take them from behind.

Continuing up to the hallway, she was surprised to find the lieutenant arguing with another woman. She was tall and thin with platinum blond hair and sunglasses. Mandy frowned, noting that the woman looked familiar. She also seemed to be intimidating the lieutenant.

"I'm going back and there is nothing you can do to stop me," the woman growled, clutching the handgun in her fist angrily.

"You really need to evacuate," the lieutenant protested, shooting Mandy a pleading expression. Mandy walked towards them, opening her mouth to say something placating when the woman turned around and the alchemist recognized her.

They both froze and stared in shock before speaking aloud at the same time. "You!"

xXx

It only took a few more minutes to get everyone out.

"Alright, that's it," the big guy said finally. "We better get going pretty quick here if—"

"FREEZE!" a shout from down the hall caused Selim and Marlin to jump. The men above had gotten wise and apparently had come to the fourth level and had seen Bonnie at the end of the hallway. Up above several shouts came down through the hole as the shadows abruptly retreated. The sudden snap of exhaustion slammed into Selim and he actually slumped down on the couch.

"Selim?!" Marlin hissed and rushed over to the homunculus. Gunshots from both ends of the hall had him whipping his head around in the general direction just as someone from above yelled out to jump through the stupid hole.

Selim could only stare up in a dazed sort of blankness as Marlin swore rather colorfully and shrugged one of the several guns he'd liberated from the men they'd already taken out off of his shoulder.

"If anyone comes through that hole I'll shoot them!" he yelled out and rushed over to Johan and his mother. He shoved one of the weapons towards them. Johan looked shocked and jumped back, shaking his head frantically. Surprisingly, Mrs. Browbeat grabbed it with a grim expression, checked over the gun, prepped it to shoot and nodded to Marlin as she raised the semi-automatic weapon into its proper position like someone who knew their way around guns.

Johan blinked in shock and Selim wanted to burst into giggles (a rather disconcerting thought in and of itself). It made sense; she was a colonel's wife, after all. He knew of many military personnel who insisted that their families and loved ones learned to protect themselves.

Marlin nodded again, looking both relieved and appreciative. Then he turned to Selim as he prepped another one of the guns he had slung over his shoulder.

"Alright, so now what? It looks like we're a little trapped here." He nodded towards the hall where the gunshots had come from. "If we head towards the room we might get caught in a fire fight. If I know Bonnie, she's already gone, but we'd better get out of here or we'll probably be trapped from both sides."

"We need a more defendable position," Mrs. Browbeat said sharply. Marlin glanced at her and nodded, then turned to Selim.

"Can you open the door across the hallway?"

Selim blinked. He'd begun to recover from his sudden daze, but he still felt rather weak. Still, he wasn't about to let anyone else know that. Forcing himself to sit up, he nodded and concentrated on forcing one of his shadows under the door. A few seconds later it opened.

Marlin was still watching Selim, the worried expression from before back on his face. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Fine," Selim lied. He needed more energy…more food. He went to stand but stumbled forward (rather embarrassingly) when he did.

"Selim!" Johan and Marlin said at the same time, rushing forward. Johan was closer and got there just in time to stop his friend from face-planting into the carpet. A few shots from above had them all backing away from the hole.

Mrs. Browbeat's expression darkened and she turned her gun up and shot right back. Apparently it was enough to get the people above to back off because they didn't shoot again.

"Selim, what's wrong?" Johan asked worriedly.

"He doesn't have enough energy to keep using his powers," Marlin said, managing to sound both exasperated and concerned.

"Energy?"

"I need food," he managed to get out.

"Food?" Johan asked. "I wish I had something to give you, but I gave the apple I had to a little girl yesterday. That's all I had on me."

Selim waved him off, somehow managing to gain his feet again, if a bit unsteadily. "There's nothing you—"

"Does it have to be food?" Mrs. Browbeat interrupted suddenly.

The three males in the room turned and stared at her. She didn't look particularly formidable normally, being fairly plump, having her hair in the latest fashion and wearing somewhat expensive clothing. At the moment, however, with her short hair mussed and having kicked off her high-heels long ago, along with the weapon in her hand and her hard expression, she didn't look like someone any of them wanted to cross.

"Uh…no," Selim said slowly, not particularly wanting to tell the woman with the gun that he could also eat humans.

"Mom?"

"Can it just be organic?" Marlin asked, apparently catching Mrs. Browbeat's train of thought.

Selim blinked at him. "I…guess so. Organic material tends to work the best, but I haven't tried eating anything else."

"There are plants all over this hotel," Marlin said with a grin. "I know it's not meat or whatever you usually eat but—"

"No," Selim interrupted, "you're right. That's…why didn't I think of that?"

Marlin didn't answer and Selim realized that he figured the homunculus had been a bit fixated on eating humans. He scowled in his direction, but only for a moment. Then he sent his shadows out to devour the many plants hanging from the corners of the ceiling, decorating the tables or put against the walls. In minutes he had cleared away everything, vases, dirt and all. Surprisingly, it did help, a lot.

Of course, that didn't stop the horrified expressions on Mrs. Browbeat's and Johan's faces. The silence became rather awkward for a moment before Selim turned and nodded to Johan's mother.

"Thank you," he said. "I'm not sure I would have been able to go on for much longer without that."

"N-no problem," she said.

"We need to get going," Marlin cut in. "They're coming."

Heavy stomping had begun to echo down the hall. Encouraged by the lack of gunshots, the men had decided to try to clear the floor. Mrs. Browbeat raised her gun and shot at the hallway, causing the footsteps to stop abruptly.

"Now," Selim hissed, throwing up a shield of shadows as he jumped into the hall. Shouts of surprise and gunshots met his sudden appearance, but it was enough to get Marlin, Mrs. Browbeat and Johan into the room. Selim dove in after them, slamming the door shut and rushing into the room.

"Get behind the bed," Marlin was saying. "We don't have a whole lot of time before—"

He was cut off by gunshots at the door. The wood around the handle exploded again and again. All four of them dove behind the bed.

"What now?" Mrs. Browbeat snapped.

"Selim, cut a hole. We'll cover you."

Not a moment later the door burst open. Marlin and Mrs. Browbeat popped up and shot at the door a few times before ducking back down. They were gratified with shouts of pain and outrage.

"I only have a few shots left," Johan's mother said to Marlin before she saw what Selim was doing.

A hole fell away in front of Selim and he shot her a raised eyebrow. She blinked for a moment before seeming to accept it. Then she popped up to shoot at the door again. Selim swung his legs down through the hole, amazed again at how much energy a bunch of simple plants had given him. He dropped through and landed on the floor, then rushed towards the door as Johan dropped down behind him with a much heavier thump.

Selim opened the door and peeked out. No one was in the halls, a good sign. He could keep cutting through the floors again, but truthfully getting to the end room and escaping that way had a higher chance of success (mainly because they wouldn't give their pursuers another way down), if they could just get there.

Another heavy thump meant that Mrs. Browbeat had come down. She fell rather ungracefully onto her backside with an 'oof' that had Johan rushing over to help her.

"I'm fine," she assured him, scrambling out of the way so Marlin could come down after them.

"Good," Selim said. "We've previously cleared the third floor, and we already have an escape route through the room at the end of the hall that will give us better chances as it's closest to the basement door. There's a secret tunnel down there that we used to infiltrate the hotel. That's how we'll get you out."

Mrs. Browbeat nodded, her expression still grim but determined.

"Get going," Marlin said as he dropped to the floor and rushed towards them. "Hurry!"

Selim nodded, peeked out again to make sure the hallways were still empty before leading the way to the end of the hall. Behind him, he heard Marlin slam the door closed and they all ran down the hallway towards freedom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank Shade40 who has helped me so much and who reminded me that no, I hadn't posted this. Anyway, onto the chapter!


	23. Chapter 23

They somehow managed to get into the room 332 before their pursuers spilled out into the hall. That would buy them a few more minutes at least as they wouldn't know which room Selim and the others had disappeared into.

Of course, the moment he rushed into the room, Selim realized there was a slightly larger problem. So, apparently, did Mrs. Browbeat.

"Who are all these people?" she asked, noting the slumped forms of the FFO members throughout the room uneasily and clutching her gun tightly.

"Shh," Marlin said as he shut the door quietly and came up behind them. "They're people we took out to get to you," he said hurriedly. "Now can we get out of here?"

Selim had already reached the hole and sat on the edge. "I'll move the bed into place over this hole. If we are quiet, it will buy us a few more minutes at least."

"Can't you just knock them out or something?" Johan asked, eyeing the prone bodies of the men and women shoved into the corners of the room.

Selim shot him an unimpressed expression. "You do remember my state of being a few minutes ago? The more I use my shadows, the more tired I become."

"But I thought…"

"The plant matter helped, a lot, but it won't last long," he said as he dropped through the hole in the floor, swinging onto the bed below easily. "It never does," he added on in a mutter only he could hear and scrambled off of the bed just in time to miss Johan coming down after him.

They had situated the holes in each room at slightly different places in the floor, so that if they jumped through one, they wouldn't fall straight to the first floor. No matter how sturdy, a bed could only handle so much. Selim could just imagine a large group of people falling down three floors to land on a broken bed. Yes, that would have lessened their chances of escape quite a bit.

Mrs. Browbeat came next, looking rather like a flopping whale with how she flailed, but she kept ahold of her weapon and, while she did squeak rather pathetically, she didn't get hurt. Marlin came next and he hadn't even finished bouncing on the bed when Selim reached up with the shadows to pull the bed frame above them over the hole so as to hide it.

Then he turned to the next hole and almost jumped. Almost. A head of curly, black hair tied back in a short pony tail over a blue, military uniform was struggling to climb through said hole.

Selim blinked in her direction for several moments before he ran over to her. "What are you doing here?!" he hissed angrily. If she were here, then that meant that the military was here (with his luck Mustang was right behind her, dragging those blasted Elrics). They were about to blow the entire rescue!

Mandy started at his voice. Fortunately (or unfortunately, as the case may be), she'd already levered herself mostly onto the floor of the room and didn't fall back.

"Selim?" she asked, pausing in surprise. Then she saw Johan and Mrs. Browbeat standing in front of Marlin. "Did you get everyone?"

"Of course I did," Selim growled. Had she honestly thought he wouldn't be able to do it? He ruthlessly stamped on the voice in his head that pointed out how he would have gladly left all the hostages except for Johan if he'd thought it would have been a viable option. She held her hands up in surrender (which put her in a rather precarious position as she still only had one leg up on the floor).

"I was just curious."

"Get out of the way so I can get up there too," a voice from below said. Selim immediately recognized Bonnie and he realized that the two must have run into each other. Well, Mandy and whoever else from the military that had been with her.

"Who else is down there?" Selim asked as Mandy finished lifting herself into the hotel room.

"No one," the dark-haired girl said, a little confused at his unhappy tone. "Just Bonnie."

"Where's your precious General?" Selim couldn't help but sneer.

The fact that Mandy shot him an annoyed expression threw him off slightly. Very few people looked at him that way once they knew who he was. Of course, that would probably be because even fewer survived.

"General Mustang is working on clearing out the rest of the hotel. I oversaw the evacuation of the hostages. I was on my way to back him up when I ran into Bonnie here."

"A little help?" Bonnie asked from the first floor. Apparently she couldn't jump far enough to even get her hands onto the edge of the hole. Selim briefly wondered how she'd gotten back up before (or if she'd even gone down at all) but ultimately dismissed it as a pointless question. She had, end of story.

"No," he said down to her. "We're coming down. Move."

"That's everyone?" Bonnie asked, sounding slightly surprised.

Selim repressed a frustrated sigh. Alright, he knew he was a monster, but did they have to think _that_ badly of him? Then again, why should he care? He shouldn't…right?

 _'Later,'_ he told himself mentally and gestured to Marlin and the Browbeats to get over there. They hadn't taken two steps when a loud banging came from above them, followed by several voices.

Selim gestured to everyone to be quiet, which included him peering over the edge of the hole near the bed at Bonnie. Fortunately, everyone seemed to get the hint.

"What the…?! Jesse! Get in here! Look at this!"

A pause as a few pairs of feet stomped above them.

A new voice cursed colorfully. "What are all our people doing here?!"

"This has to be it," a third voice growled angrily. "Their escape route or whatever has to be in here! Look around! Castow, check those soldiers!"

"Sir!" several voices sounded and more footsteps pounded above them.

Selim motioned for everyone to get to the side of the room (or at least out of the eyesight of anyone looking down and through the hole) and moved the bed so that it would take up the entire view, making sure it covered most of the hole on the second floor as well. Again, the humans in the room seemed to catch on. Marlin shuffled theBrowbeats down the small hallway leading to the door. Mandy moved to the open bathroom door and Selim slid back into the corner with the table in it. No one breathed.

"They're alive, sir, but all unconscious," a woman's voice (Castow?) said after a few moments.

No one answered her, but the sounds of stomping and ruffling didn't stop.

It took longer than Selim would have thought for them to move the bed on the floor above and he berated himself for not just getting out when they'd heard the door open earlier.

"Sir! Look at this!" that first voice, completely clear and right above the hole, spoke up loudly.

More swearing from the supposed commanding officer.

"Should we follow them, sir?"

A pause and everyone in the room tensed. Selim drew his shadows around him, pointed and poised to attack at any moment. Let the fool humans try to stop him from completely destroying the men following them this time. Mandy crouched to the floor, paper circles in hand and ready to use. Marlin and Mrs. Browbeat raised their guns while Johan shrank back.

"No. I just got orders from the commander. He needs us on the first and second floors. We've almost retaken them." Now that Selim thought about it, he could hear that a lot of the thumping and banging noises he'd attributed to the men in the room above hadn't stopped. They were coming from somewhere nearby. He mentally cursed. Had the FFO somehow cut off their escape route?

"They're probably out of the building by now anyway," the commanding officer growled angrily. "If we want to get back at 'em, we'd better get going now."

"This leads to the second floor," one man pointed out.

"Think soldier!" the commander barked. "If they have an alchemist with them and they didn't seal this thing up, do you honestly think it's not booby trapped? Come on, men."

"But sir," the woman spoke up. "What about the men in here?"

"They're safe enough for now," the commander said. "Now follow me. That's an order."

"Y-yes, sir," the woman said and the footfalls stomped out of the room. A quiet fell above them, broken only by the loud bangs that could only be bullets and shooting breaking the unnatural silence. Everyone held their breath for several seconds.

Then Mandy slumped against the door frame of the bathroom. Mrs. Browbeat lowered the gun to her side and Selim could see her hands trembling. One of her arms wrapped around Johan and pulled him into her. He didn't resist and actually put his arms around her in return, which in and of itself said a great deal for his mental state at the moment. Marlin looked grim but relieved.

"Is everything alright now?" Bonnie asked from below, her voice hesitant and a little muffled by the bed.

"Yeah," Marlin said. "Come on, let's get—"

"No," Selim spoke up. Everyone turned to look at him. "You heard them," he said, nodding to the hole in the ceiling. "The fighting has moved to the first and second floors. We don't know if our escape route's been cut off."

"Let me look," Bonnie said.

"No!" Selim almost growled. Just how stupid were these people? Apparently she didn't listen because he soon heard the bangs and shouts grow louder, then softer again. He opened and closed his fists, concentrating on willing himself to not kill them. He still needed them, if only for distractions. Of course, distractions would only work if they didn't lead the enemy right to them.

"It's a no go," the older woman said a few seconds later.

Selim wanted to give her a piece of his mind and let her know just how stupid she'd been for opening the door at all if shots had been heard anywhere near them. Still, he saw little point in drawing attention to her stupidity at the moment and decided to refrain.

"But we were just out there!" Mandy said worriedly.

"Guess we just missed it," Bonnie returned.

"So, what do we do now?" Johan asked, his voice a little shaky.

No one answered for a few moments. Finally Selim allowed his shadows to retreat and walked over to the bed where he plopped down, heedless of the multiple, pebble-sized pieces of debris from the broken ceiling that littered it.

"Now, we wait. There's nothing else we can do."

xXx

Marlin (unsurprisingly) decided to wait in the bottom room with Bonnie. They both had guns and could protect that door well enough. They wouldn't allow anyone else to wait on the first floor with them, though, as it would be far easier and faster for the majority of their little group to jump to the first floor if necessary than it would be for them to climb back up to the second in an emergency. As such, Selim and the Browbeats stayed on the second floor with Mandy. They all also figured that a homunculus, an alchemist and a mother with a gun could guard both entrances to that room well enough.

They didn't know how long they would have to wait, but Selim doubted it would be more than a half an hour before the military overwhelmed the dwindling rebellion, or whatever it was they called themselves. Selim, for himself, was just happy to lie down and rest for a little while.

Mandy sat at the table, going over her circles and drawing a few more with a pencil and some spare paper she'd stashed in her uniform somewhere. Mrs. Browbeat had taken the armchair facing the door and Johan had come to sit on the bed near Selim. No one had spoken for a while and the atmosphere had only gotten tenser as the shots from outside rose and fell in groups of loud, warning bangs.

Finally, Selim figured that this would be as good a time as any to ask his questions of Johan. It had taken him a while to decide for two reasons: First, he had an audience and second, for some reason, now that he'd gone through everything to get his friend (former friend?) to safety, he found it difficult to put his questions into words.

"Johan," he finally said, not opening his eyes but allowing a small shadow's eye to discretely appear and watch them. He wanted to witness the other boy's reactions. He saw his friend tense at the barest touch of anger and confusion Selim had allowed to lace his voice.

"Why did you give me that book?"

That must not have been what Johan expected because he blinked in confusion for a few seconds before answering. "Huh?"

If Selim's eyes had been open, he would have rolled them in annoyance. "The book, by the Elrics. The one that had all the answers. Why did you give that book to me when you somehow knew who I was?"

"You what?" Mrs. Browbeat rounded on Johan. For once he didn't shrink away from her temper, instead choosing to stare stonily back at her after shooting a mildly scathing look in Selim's direction. "Johannus Atriums Browbeat! After we strictly forbade you to—"

"Mom!" Johan said, just loudly enough to cut her off. "Stop it." He took a deep breath and visibly calmed down. "Just…stop."

She didn't look too happy, but she backed off, although her expression told everyone rather plainly that the conversation was not over. It took a few more seconds before Johan answered Selim, who had given up the pretense of resting his eyes and had allowed his shadow to fade again.

"Right. Well…one reason was because I wanted to let you know that you're still my friend," he shot an angry glare at his mother before returning his gaze to Selim. He opened his mouth as if to say something else, but then seemed to think better of it and closed it. The boy didn't say anything else and the minutes stretched. Selim knew his friend hadn't said everything and he wasn't going to let Johan get off that easily, but he was willing to have other questions answered in the meantime.

"And how did you find out when I didn't even know myself? Did you get the answers from that book?"

At that Johan snorted, all of his reluctance gone. "Are you kidding? It took me weeks to get to a point where dad would let me into his private office. I figured it all out way before that."

Selim felt his fists clench as he glared up at his friend. "How?" he growled.

Johan rolled his eyes. "It's all over the history books! I don't know why someone hasn't seen it before. There's been a kid who looks like…well, you, near the Fuehrer for generations, always tied to the ruling family, never younger than six or seven, and never older than thirteen or fourteen. That was when I started suspecting that there was something more to it all and that's when I started bugging my dad about seeing his high-level alchemy books."

"Which you can bet won't happen again any time soon," Mrs. Browbeat growled. Johan's mouth thinned in frustration although he didn't acknowledge that he'd heard his mother in any other way. Selim, on the other hand, couldn't help but stare, any anger in him suddenly replaced by incredulity.

_"That's what you found? But...you thought I was fifteen! Even if we looked similar, there was no actual reason to suspect I was the same person—"_

"That's why I wanted to get to dad's books and find out for sure if it was plausible. I didn't want to say anything 'cause I thought it sounded stupid, but it didn't sit right with me. I wrote it all down in my notes and had just gone through that book when dad caught me. He freaked and thought that I was onto something."

"Which you were," Mrs. Browbeat interjected pointedly.

"Which is when they told you to stop being my friend," Selim said, turning his own glare on Mrs. Browbeat. She didn't turn to look at them, eyes fixed on the door, but her jaw was set in determination and she didn't look like she was going to back down any time soon.

Johan grumbled. "I told them it was stupid."

Mrs. Browbeat snorted and Selim raised an eyebrow sardonically at his friend. "Apparently not," he said, gesturing to his shadows.

At that, the larger boy looked away, troubled. "I never actually _knew,_ knew…I mean, that's part of why I gave you the book in the first place. I wanted to know too and I saw what not knowing was doing to you and I thought you deserved to know the truth, no matter what my parents said."

Selim glanced out of the corner of his eye at Johan's mother, but her expression didn't change. The homunculus wasn't sure what to make of that and, from the puzzled expression Johan shot his mother, he didn't either. Mandy hadn't stopped working on her circles, but Selim could tell she was listening rather intently. Bonnie and Marlin probably were too. Perhaps he should have timed this confrontation a little better?

Selim shook his head, feeling a headache beginning to build behind his eyes. "So you wanted me to get the answers I was searching for, despite the fact that it was a state secret that would (and has) put the entire country in danger?"

Johan frowned at Selim. "How was I supposed to know that?" he asked defensively. "Besides, you'd never hurt anyone."

The conviction in the other boy's voice took Selim back a moment. Then he closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Johan hadn't had some underlying plot or plan to set in motion, and he wasn't working for anyone as Selim had begun to suspect. He was just sharp enough to put two and two together while being amazingly naïve. The homunculus ran a hand down his face and couldn't help the incredulous chuckle. Even the Elrics hadn't been that naïve at Johan's age. Truthfully Selim hadn't known anyone could be _that_ innocent and sheltered. He wasn't sure as to whether he felt more relieved or annoyed.

"Johan, I _am_ a homunculus," he said finally, annoyance melting into exasperation.

"But you said—"

"Look," Selim said, sitting up and bending his head down so that Johan could see the crown of his head. "See that? It's an oroborus; the mark of a homunculus." He straightened and gestured to the shadows scattered around the room again and caused one to rise beside him. "See this? It's a special power. Do you know why homunculi are difficult to kill? Their Philosophers' Stones have to run out of energy before they die. Yes, I have a philosopher's stone at my heart." He ignored a startled squeak from Mandy. "And to top it all of, for almost all of three centuries I lived to serve and help the person that created me no matter what the cost. Johan, I. Am. A. Homunculus."

At this Selim paused and deflated, slumping back onto the bed. "I always have been. I just didn't remember."

Silence met his words and he felt something curl up inside of him. He couldn't place why or how or even what, but he could not deny that he felt… _something._

He chanced a glance up at his friend who seemed to be staring at Selim thoughtfully.

Then Johan sighed and turned to look at his mother. "Mom, my best friend is a Homunculus. Please get over it and stop being dumb."

Selim felt shocked right down to the tips of his shadows. "What?"

For the second time that day, Mrs. Browbeat rounded on her son (and looked rather intimidating with that semi-automatic in her hands). "Johannus Artimus Browbeat! You dare speak to me like that? When all I wanted was to keep you safe?!"

"He's not dangerous!" Johan said, gesturing towards Selim.

"I _am_ dangerous!" Selim interjected.

"And if you think for an instant that I am going to—"

"But he hasn't even hurt anyone—"

"Oh, yes I have."

Mrs. Browbeat and Johan both stopped trying to interrupt each other and blinked several times before turning to look at Selim.

"You have?" Johan asked, his voice trembling only slightly. "When?"

Selim pushed down the urge he had to bite his lip and look away. He was not embarrassed! He had absolutely no reason to be. Right?

Shaking the thought from his head he squared himself and stared Johan in the eyes. "I used to kill and eat people all the time. You saw me almost lose it with Clemin."

"But you didn't," Johan insisted. "When was the last time you killed anyone?"

Selim expected Mrs. Browbeat to interject, but she didn't. Instead she only stared at him, obviously wanting an answer herself. The homunculus frowned and hesitated but decided there was little harm in answering, even if it did sting his pride a bit.

"Before I lost my memories."

"See?" Johan responded with triumph. "You're not dangerous! Not to your best friend. I mean c'mon, you'd never even hurt me or your mom or my parents, let alone kill us, right?"

Selim didn't speak for several seconds before he realized he couldn't say anything to that. It bothered him, but he couldn't answer that to the affirmative or the negative. Johan must have noticed his uneasy expression because his own appearance hardened.

"No, you wouldn't. I know you wouldn't," he said firmly.

"Johan," Mrs. Browbeat said, sounding suddenly weary.

"You don't know anything," Selim responded quietly.

"I know that you came in here and rescued everyone when you didn't have to. I know you _could_ have killed people and had plenty of opportunity, but you didn't. I know that you've gone out of your way to keep everyone safe, even the people who don't care for you," he shot his mother another glare. She had the good grace to look slightly abashed.

Selim wanted to counter his friend, to insist that while those things were technically true, he had not been happy about it. He had not wanted to rescue everyone, hadn't cared at all about others' safety, hadn't even wanted to get involved in their conflicts anymore, and it was only that there had been very valid reasons to do so that he had acted like a pathetic, weakling human.

Oh yes, he wanted to deny Johan's words…but he couldn't.

No matter how he tried, he couldn't rationalize or appeal to his darker half this time. Not with the way Johan was looking at him—eyes full of absolute faith and trust that Selim most definitely did not deserve.

He _did_ want to keep everyone safe. They were humans and awful and pathetic and despite all of that, he _cared._ A part of him wanted to curl up and die at the realization. Just how far had he fallen? But a part of him glowed with triumph and happiness and a _peace_ he'd never felt before, as Pride.

He still couldn't bring himself to answer, but he had to admit, even if only to himself, that Johan was right.

The tentative silence fell back over the room, but it seemed more thoughtful this time. No one spoke for several minutes, each undoubtedly lost in their own thoughts. Selim, for himself, tried not to think. He didn't want to deal with his stupid conflict or how he shouldn't be feeling human emotions but actually liked that he did now, and he really just wanted to go to sleep for the rest of the week.

Not minutes later, he began to drop off, purposefully ignoring the fact that he felt comfortable and _safe_ enough around these people—these _humans—_ to do so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much to Shade40 for helping me out with this!
> 
> Sorry it's taken as long as it has, but my muse for this is still giving me issues. I have a bunch of the next chapter written though so it should be out earlier. I had a really hard time with this chapter for some reason and I feel like it was really choppy and rushed, but it's probably about as good as it's going to get at this point, so eh. Let me know what you think (or, more specifically, what you think could make it better...please!)
> 
> So you guys are now caught up with FF.net. Finally. Sorry it took so long. ^^;


	24. Chapter 24

Selim was in the vortex again. Alright, it wasn't really a vortex, at least not like the one from his memories as Pride; not the one he _knew_. It was where the vortex of souls _should_ be, but wasn't. It wasn't a void or some sort of empty space; no, everything still rushed around him in a jumble of strange colors and feelings, each impossible to separate from the next, but what made it strange was the fact that it was all his own emotions and visions, no one else's. He no longer had souls in his stone, he thought to himself, so of course the vortex would be different. Now it seemed so empty, and yet amazingly full in a completely different way than it had ever felt before. It also seemed just as confusing and unorganized as ever.

He almost wished that his personality was split into Selim and Pride again so he could at least have someone else to talk to about this mess. He didn't even know where to start to begin to sort through it all, and he found himself both confused and overwhelmed to realize that everything around him came _from_ him. Even the human part of him almost longed for his days as a homunculus at that point. At least as Pride he hadn't ever had to worry about anything even remotely close to this. Stupid human emotions that he shouldn't even be feeling….

And that brought up another point. Why did he feel this way? According to everything he had learned and remembered, he hadn't physically changed all that much, so he technically shouldn't be able to have these kinds of feelings at all. So why could he? Was it because of how he had been raised this time around? He was sure that had something to do with him being able to _recognize_ the different emotions but it didn't explain why he _could_ feel all of this now when he'd never had such problems as Pride. Why could he experience such disgusting things as friendship and love and trust...? And even more, why did part of him _enjoy_ them?

Was it adaptation? A sort of defense mechanism? Perhaps because he'd _had_ to live like a human his mental state had changed to be more human-like? No, that didn't make sense. He couldn't affect changes like that without souls in his stone consciously or subconsciously. Then did it have something to do with the makeup of his true form? Could it be because his original form had been based off of a human body? If he couldn't live off of the energy of the philosopher's stone, would the normal human-like tendencies kick in as a backup function?

That sounded far more plausible. Having a backup plan, even one as annoying as this, sounded like something his father would do. He mentally sighed. If that were the case, then until he replenished his stone, he would be stuck like this—living and feeding and _feeling_ like a human, indefinitely.

Part of him found that disgusting, but he was so used to living and acting and _being_ a human that his acceptance of this state seemed to overrule any serious revulsion he felt. If this was something his father had built into him so he could survive, well he could live with that. And he would survive, not just because his father would want him to but because _he_ wanted to. He finally had a life to live—a life all his own. That was something Pride had never had, and he liked the idea of having gained it. He was proud of the fact that he could do it—that he could live a life of his own that wasn't connected to Father. He was proud of this little bit of responsibility that he'd never really been jealous of before, but that he found he did not want to give up now. Perhaps this was one of the many aspects about humans that Envy had been so jealous of: the fact that while humans may be disgusting and horrible creatures, they had the _freedom_ to be so.

And now, so did Selim.

It was a good feeling…and it was something he found he could treasure, human or not.

He'd finally admitted how he cared about those close to him. Yes, he had only done so to himself, but he'd actually faced the truth and while part of him still found it disgusting, if it were something that was a part of him—something that was _supposed_ to be a part of him—he would make the best of it. He could accept it, albeit hesitantly and he certainly wouldn't be _happy_ about being reduced to an inferior state of being, but he could do it because he was the homunculus Pride and nothing any human, even Edward Elric, could do to him would ever get him to admit defeat. He was also the human, Selim Baker, and he had people and dreams to live for and protect.

He was both—and for the first time, he found he could accept that.

No one else in the room noticed Selim's somewhat troubled face relax into a peaceful blankness that few had ever or would ever see on the homunculus' face—even in sleep—and the slightest smile touch his lips.

xXx

Brigadier General Roy Mustang loathed fighting rebellion and terrorist groups more than almost anything else. He always had, mainly because they always seemed to find new, desperate ways to be nasty. Especially alchemists. He'd hated the Ishvalan war, but at least he and his fellow soldiers hadn't had to go in and fight other alchemists that had invented new ways of causing pain.

Sure, the military attracted its own kind of crazy (Kimbly and Grande being two very obvious examples of that), but alchemy was such a _broad_ science with so many undiscovered and forgotten branches that anyone with a little time on their hands, half a brain and some alchemic talent could be a potential threat.

As these FFO alchemists were proving.

Really, it was kind of mind-blowing as to what could be turned into a bomb under the right circumstances, and just how many _types_ of bombs could be made. At least they weren't using humans like Kimbly used to. It was a small blessing, but at the moment, Roy would take what he could get.

He and the main group of his men crouched behind doors and corners as best they could, trying everything they could to reach the enemy at the other side. Where was the backup? He'd given orders for men to follow. Something had to have happened to stall them this long. Taking back the hotel with the number of men he had at the moment would be time-consuming and extremely dangerous. They'd come in here with the understanding that the rest of their forces would be on their way, otherwise he wouldn't have rushed in. (He mentally attributed his rash action to the fact that Fullmetal had come back and had somehow rubbed off onto him.)

With all of the stairwells, working elevators (and how had that happened when they'd cut off the power supply at least a day before?) and hallways, not to mention rooms to hide in, he simply didn't have enough men to entirely secure more than a single floor, let alone the entire building.

Despite knowing this, Roy did not give the order to back down. He refused to allow Clemin to get away again. The man was power-hungry, knowledgeable and crazy, not to mention he had a decent amount of charisma and knew where to look to find scarily dedicated followers. Allowing him to leave was simply too dangerous for anyone and everyone within the country (and perhaps even the surrounding countries). They had to finish this, and they _had_ to win.

Ever since he'd lost his eyesight, Roy had really lost his enthusiasm for using alchemy. He'd finally seen and understood the consequences of misusing such a power, and he had done so before, even if only in small ways or under orders. It made him sick to think about so he avoided doing so, and thus avoided using his alchemy. That didn't mean he couldn't, nor did it mean that he allowed himself to fall out of practice. If his forces had somehow been cut off, then Roy knew he would have to stop holding back.

"Lieutenant," he said, just loud enough to be heard over the gun shots.

"Sir!" Hawkeye said, never taking her eyes off of her mark and continuing to shoot.

"We're changing to plan B. Clemin either leaves this building in custody or not at all."

"Sir!" she acknowledged then turned to instruct her men. Roy pulled out his gloves.

This would end today.

xXx

"Selim!"

Something was shaking him, pulling him back, very reluctantly, from the black void of sleep he'd fallen into what felt like just moments before.

"Selim!" Who was that? Mandy? "Selim, wake up!"

"They're just outside the door," Mrs. Browbeat said just loudly enough for everyone to hear as Marlin let out a string of cusswords from below. Selim forced himself to listen harder and realized that a lot of those shots from earlier were much louder than they had been before.

"Get down here!" Bonnie ordered from the room below. "The fight must have moved up there, because we're not hearing anyone down here."

"Johan, you first," Mrs. Browbeat said firmly. Selim was still having difficulty even opening his eyes. Just how badly did he need to rest still? He managed to pry his eyelids apart and looked up at Mandy's worried face.

"What's going on?" he asked, noting how slurred his voice had come out. His brain didn't seem to want to function correctly either. Everything felt slow and heavy. Was this a dream? Somehow he didn't think so, although it all felt that way.

"Come on," Mandy said urgently, pulling at his arm. "We have to go! This may be our only chance to get out of here for a while—or at all. Hurry!"

Selim forced his limbs to move. He'd only just managed to sit up when an explosion rocked the building. Johan, who had been about to sit at the edge of the hole, rocked forward with a yelp and fell through it instead. He managed to throw his arms over the opposite side of the hole as he went down (it wasn't a very large opening, after all), but either due to his lack of fitness or his state of mind, he couldn't even hold on long enough for his mother to reach him, and she had instantly rushed forward with a shriek.

Unfortunately, that shriek was loud enough for whoever was shooting just outside the door to notice.

"Did you hear that?" a muffled voice asked all too clearly.

"Yeah!" And then the door handle was seemingly under attack. Somehow, to Selim's still groggy mind, this all seemed familiar. Had he dreamed something like this? Or had something similar really happened in the recent past? He couldn't seem to figure it out.

"GO!" Mandy said to Mrs. Browbeat, rushing up behind the older woman who dropped through the hole and out of sight. Selim managed to stagger into an upright position, forcing his body to wake up. It was responding slowly, like an engine that had yet to heat up enough to really move. He frowned, realizing that he didn't normally have these kinds of problems waking up. Something was really wrong here…

The door burst open just as Selim stumbled towards the hole.

"FREEZE!" one of the men said and shot at Selim, who couldn't make his body react quickly enough to dodge. He felt hot agony shoot through his arm and cursed mentally. He'd only just healed his shoulders!

The pain caused him to stumble and he couldn't seem to keep his eyes open. The world was going black and he could only think that this wouldn't have happened if he hadn't allowed himself to fall asleep—if he hadn't trusted the humans.

"Selim!" he heard Mandy scream and saw her lunge towards him out of the corner of his eye.

The man from before yelling: "I said FREEZE!" was the last thing Selim heard before blackness took him.

xXx

Today was not a good day for the FFO, Clemin realized as he stared out the window to the suite that had become their base. It was his own fault, really. The idea of taking family members of Amestris' upper echelons hostage had not been his idea originally, but it had been one that had appealed to him, and thus he had allowed his small group of rebels to throw themselves into this.

In retrospect, he really should have realized that while having a strong hold in New Optain was an appealing idea, it really wasn't plausible with the resources at his command. What had he been thinking? Then again, it seemed harder to think things through lately. Briefly, he wondered why. Was it because of the betrayal of the homunculi so long ago, resulting in his soul being torn from his body when he should have been one of those who _received_ the souls instead? Or perhaps it was because of the military's crushing defeat on that same day. Or perhaps the many years of seeing nothing but the inside of a cell, having nothing to think of except that he _should_ be so much more than a prisoner—than a _human_ even—had been the cause.

Whatever the reason, he'd found himself reduced to working outside of the law once he'd managed to escape; of bringing lowly rebels to his side and using them instead of the military. It was humiliating and demeaning and he hated it! But he would do whatever he had to do so as to get his revenge. And he _would_ get revenge on the people who had caused his downfall! On the Armstrongs and Mustang and the Elrics and most of all, the back-stabbing homunculi! If he'd been able to bring the entire country under his command in the process, then so much the better!

He'd had so many plans…and now they vanished before his eyes and all of his hard work had gone to waste. He didn't see a way out of this that wouldn't lead to his death or imprisonment (of which he doubted he could escape the next time).

Really, what _had_ he been thinking?

He didn't allow himself to sigh. Instead he continued to stare out the window at the city that had once been his for the taking.

Behind his back, his hands clenched more tightly into fists. It _should_ be his! He deserved it! He had worked for it! The nation—no, the _world_ should be his! And yet it wasn't… and now it didn't look like it ever would be thanks to too many of his careful plans going awry.

The hostages had escaped. All of them. That had been a large blow to this set-up, but what was worse was _how_ they'd escaped. The men had described it as if the shadows had come alive. Which made absolutely no sense at all whatsoever. Why had the homunculus brat come and tried to rescue the humans? He hadn't even come after Clemin (and he would have expected revenge to be first on the monster's list), so what did he want? Had he somehow struck a deal with the military? He'd rescue the hostages and they'd allow him to live? He hadn't thought Mustang to be either that stupid or that naïve, but it was the only plausible explanation he could come up with. Surely the thing would not have acted on his own to rescue people? He could not seem to merge the idea of the monster he'd known and a caring human being together at all. It just wasn't conceivable that he would have feelings for even his supposed friend.

It was a conundrum that did not make Clemin feel comfortable at all. Still, he had little doubt the brat had fled. There would have been a confrontation otherwise because the boy had too much pride to actually finish Clemin off quietly, no matter how intelligent that would have been.

He had long ago tuned out the screaming and yelling over the radio as his forces were attacked and beaten back by one General Mustang. And how had they gotten into the hotel even? This may not have been the brightest idea ever, but at least he'd made sure to secure the building. It had been air tight! He did sigh this time. There had to be something his people had missed. If they got out of this alive, they would be punished. Severely.

That, of course, just reminded him of how he doubted they would get out of this alive. However, he still had some backup means for his revenge in place. Perhaps he wouldn't be able to lead and control Amestris, but he could at least take the lives of the people he hated. He still had a trick or two up his sleeve and if he could use them, they would make for acceptable consolation prizes.

The sound of the door opening behind him didn't draw his attention away from the window. If his forces were there then he had little to worry about. If the people belonged to Mustang than his fate was basically sealed and any actions he took would make little difference.

"Commander!" It was the breathy voice of one of his underlings. So the opposing forces had not reached him yet. How disappointing. He was looking forward to seeing the look on that upstart alchemist's face when he realized what the FFO leader had in store for him. Even if it meant Clemin's death, that expression would be so sweet. Now if only he could have somehow arranged something for Armstrong that would get past her defenses, or if he could have found that blasted homunculus…

"Don't you dare touch me!" the loud voice of an unfamiliar girl startled him out of his thoughts.

"Sir, you may want to look at this."

Trying to suppress his surprise and curiosity, he turned to face the small, ragged group of people who had just entered the room. A young, dark-haired woman in a blue military uniform was being led into the room with her hands on her head. She looked livid, glaring at the men around her and Clemin with equal animosity. She had several weapons turned on her, but judging from how she eyed the man holding a gun to the other hostage's head, the former General didn't think the firearms pointed at her were what had convinced her to go along with her captors.

It was the second hostage that really surprised Clemin. Two men held the limp body of an obviously unconscious teenager between them. His dead weight dragged them down and they seemed barely able to hold his body even partially up in their exhaustion. It was undoubtedly the reason why the one who had previously addressed their leader sounded so out of breath.

Clemin couldn't see his face, but he knew almost instantly who had been brought before him. The boy's chin fell down to rest on his chest, leaving the top of his head visible to the FFO leader. Through the short hair, he could just make out the markings of a tattoo he knew all too well.

At first he could only blink in surprise. Just what as the monster here again? And then he couldn't help the large, albeit somewhat insane grin that broke out on his face.

What luck! That was, if this wasn't some sort of trap…

"He's unconscious, sir. We couldn't wake him. I'm afraid we'll have to wait for him to regain consciousness if you wish to speak with him. I doubt it would be worth the effort, though. Should I just shoot him, sir?"

Clemin felt his grin grow wider as he approached them and put a hand on the boy's head, pushing it back so he could see the other's face. The little monster didn't so much as finch. Even he couldn't be that good of an actor. No, he was unconscious for some reason. But why? He would think on that later and not look a gift horse in the mouth right now.

"No."

A few of the men looked confused at his pronouncement. Waiting for him to awaken would make their situation more difficult. They had a hostage in the girl, they wouldn't need the unconscious boy (who may need medical attention) to bargain.

"With all due respect, sir, why?" A woman from the back spoke up. Clemin immediately committed her face to memory both as a courageous person who could speak her mind and as a possible future threat. Anyone willing to question their orders was a potential threat.

"Because," he said as he studied the young features on the relaxed face, "we will be overpowered today. We have failed, and I do not take failure lightly. However, while killing him would almost make this fact worth it, having him _know_ it was my men who outwitted and captured him…that would make this day our victory."

"But why, sir?" the same woman asked. "He isn't even part of the government. How can he be that important?"

As patiently as ever, Clemin answered that question too.

"He may look young, but this boy had a very large hand in what happened before and during the coup." Clemin brought his hand up to grip the boy's jaw tightly. He either didn't see or didn't notice the disbelieving (some outright worried) looks his subordinates were shooting at him or each other.

"Leave him alone!" the girl's angry shout drew Clemin's attention away from his examination.

Dropping the monster's head and allowing it to fall back onto his chest, the former General approached the girl.

"And just who might you be?"

She glared up at him defiantly. "Major Mandy Redfern, serial number 113B429."

"Major? Aren't you a little young to be a major?" Clemin asked, studying her for a moment. Then he smiled. "You're an alchemist, aren't you?" She didn't answer, but he didn't need her to.

"Oh, this will make for the most perfect bait. Of course Flame will come to rescue his subordinate. Perhaps I am luckier today than I realized."

"The General will defeat you," Major Redfern said angrily.

Her eyes widened in surprise when Clemin laughed. "Oh, you are most definitely correct there. Now it's just a matter of who I take with me."

  


  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So, I actually had most of this written a few months ago, but I didn't like that it was such a short chapter. Guess I'll just have to live with it. So, what happened? Well I found out that I have depression and anxiety and combined with my ADHD…well, it wasn't fun. I stuck with some of my other stories because they were more therapeutic for me in the state I was in. So I'm finally out of all of that, getting back into my game, and then I decided to go to Beauty School (I'm artistic, and I really like it—so much fun) and had to pick up a job on the side. My school is a good 45min-hour away from where I live (through awful traffic both there and back), it starts at 8, ends at 5 (most days, often I'm there later) and when I'm not working I'm delivering pizzas. I would RATHER be home writing, but that just isn't so plausible right now.
> 
> Don't get me wrong, I am not abandoning this or any other story. I've already started on the next chapter and I will be finishing this (before the end of the year is my goal).
> 
> So, that's why this is so late. ^^;
> 
> Thanks again to Shade40, who is ALWAYS amazing! :D


	25. Chapter 25

Falk Rainton had never been much of a gambler. It was one reason why he had trained to become a sniper. Taking pot-shots at people from the safety of whichever perch he had chosen that day was more than fine by him. His motto had always been something along the lines of 'he who fights and runs away lives to fight another day'. It hadn't been something his father had ever understood. Then again, that may be why his father had been killed in the coup fifteen years ago. He'd never quite forgiven the man for that—for leaving him with his dead-beat mother who only cared about where she would get her next fix. Not that he'd been much of a father anyway.

So he'd left 'home' and found his own way in the world. When life got hard, he studied the problem from afar until he could find a way to circumvent it. It had been one reason why he'd been attracted to the new FFO. Back when they'd all been idealistic fools being led about by even more idealistic idiots, he wouldn't have given the organization another thought. When Clemin came in, though, Falk had seen something he appreciated in the man. He'd seen someone who had also lost everything despite not being a gambler. It should have been his ticket to the good-life, if he could just stick around long enough.

Yes, it _should_ have been, but it hadn't. He looked out on the broken skyline that made up the city of New Optain with a scowl on his face. As soon as this job was done, he would more or less be back to square one. At least he wouldn't be caught. Half of him wanted to simply move on now, but the other half of him appreciated that Clemin still didn't gamble much—that he needed a few aces up his sleeve. It wouldn't really hurt Falk to stick around for this one last assignment, even if the only place he'd been able to choose to mount his gun didn't give him as much perspective as he'd like. He'd much prefer less of an angle, but then, he'd learned at a young age that life didn't hand you what you preferred. Here, he was less likely to be found by the Military, so here is where he stayed.

Once he'd finished this job, he'd need to get out of the city, perhaps even out of the country. He was alright with that though. A change of scenery would do him good. If he could get away from all of this, he might be able to find another organization with a cushy position open for him. Perhaps if he headed north…

And with that, Falk began to make his preparations, never moving a muscle from his position. After all, he was a professional. He would do what he'd been hired to do.

Roy Mustang would die today.

xXx

The first thing Selim noticed when he began to wake up was that everything around him was quiet. After all the shouting and noise earlier, it made for a rather unsettling contrast. The second thing he noticed was that he could barely move his hands. He could feel something around his wrists…was he handcuffed?

Groggily, he began to force his eyes open. It didn't help. Everything remained black. He groaned quietly. Someone had trapped him in the dark again. He'd woken up far too many times like this recently. His hatred for complete darkness had shot up several levels since he'd regained his memories, and he couldn't deny that that underlying fear from his days as a human still undermined it all.

The worst part was that he had no way of telling how long he'd been out this time. He felt better than he had when Mandy had woken him before, but only marginally so, and his stomach was protesting rather vehemently to its lack of sustenance. He'd need to find something to eat soon.

Not for the first time, he cursed his decision to absorb Gluttony.

His entire left side had grown numb from the strange position he'd been laying in, so he tried to shift himself but hissed in pain as fire streaked through his left arm. Right, he had somehow forgotten that he'd been shot. The memories were coming back to him though, slowly but surely. The pain and discomfort saw to that. He may not know how long he'd been in such an awkward position, but his muscles told him it had been far too long. Especially his newly wounded arm. Actually, it was a wonder he hadn't bled out, he thought angrily to himself. He would have to find who had done that to him and—

"Hey," a soft voice whispered, startling him ever so slightly.

"Mandy?" he asked. His voice came out harsh and croaking.

"Yeah. It's me."

"What happened?" he asked, trying to shift again and bracing himself against the pain it brought. Whatever they'd been shoved into—likely a closet if they were still in the hotel—it was rather roomy and he found that movement wasn't really too difficult space-wise. He thanked fate for small favors.

"After you got shot, you collapsed and lost consciousness," she explained softly. "Now the head of the FFO is holding us hostage in place of the hotel patrons we rescued."

Her bitter voice didn't really register to Selim, his mind instead focusing on what she'd said.

"The head of the FFO…?" he couldn't help but ask blankly. The head of the FFO who had sent Bonnie and Marlin after him, who seemed to want him so badly and somehow knew his secrets…

"Clemin," he whispered harshly.

"Shh," she said right back in the same tone. "He said as soon as you woke up, he'll kill you!"

"He can try," Selim responded. And that actually brought up a really good question. Why hadn't he just killed Selim before, when he'd been helpless? Perhaps he was basing his assumption that Selim was no longer a threat because he'd lost consciousness? Perhaps he'd concluded that the homunculus was somehow weaker? If that were the case, the man had truly lost a good deal of his mental faculties. The Clemin Selim knew from the past would never have made such a rookie mistake. Then again, maybe he just wanted to see the look on Selim's face when he died. Revenge was something he could see the ex-general doing. Still, it was a huge risk, and really, Clemin knew exactly how risky, in all actuality.

"And he'll probably succeed if you're as out of it as you were earlier," Mandy commented dryly.

Selim would swear that he could feel Mandy's angry glare even in the darkness, but he didn't let it faze him. Instead, he scowled back, annoyed that he couldn't prove her observation wrong. Unfortunately, she was probably closer to right than he wanted to admit. He was having a hard time holding his head up, even now. As if to accentuate his current state, his stomach let out another loud growl.

He turned his glare down in the approximate direction of the organ.

"You know," Mandy said, her own voice tired—almost resigned, "I talked with the others when you were sleeping. When we were brought in here earlier, I noticed that there were plants all over the suite, if you think that will help."

"It might if I could get to them," Selim said dryly. Then he paused and began to realize what she'd just said. He blinked and turned his head in the general direction of her voice, his anger melting into surprise. "I kidnapped you, seriously considered killing you and used you as a human meat shield, and you're still trying to help me?"

He could practically hear her rolling her eyes. "You didn't think about that when we met up in the hotel earlier?"

Okay, he really had been out of it if he hadn't remembered how they'd parted before—or at least given it more than a passing thought. "No."

She sighed, her own annoyance fading to a warmer exasperation, much to his surprise. "Okay, yeah, you were different and weird and what not, but…you still let me go when you could have killed me. I don't know if you'll ever be that sweet little kid I met a few weeks ago again—"

"I won't," Selim broke in, muttering.

Fabric rustled from Mandy's direction, probably a shrug. "But I don't think you'll ever be able to get away from his influence either."

They fell silent for a few moments, each turning that over in their mind. Finally Selim just sighed. "You're right," he said, and while there was some pain in admitting it, it also felt good somehow. "I'm not Pride or Selim anymore…and I don't think I'll ever be either one of them again. It's not necessarily a good or a bad thing, it just is."

Mandy didn't answer him, but he sensed a sort of approval from her anyway. Okay, maybe he had been forced to be around her for too long if he could read her like that. Still it was a reaction he found interesting if he was indeed correct. She seemed so bitter when it came to her family and past but was able to forgive him for being a monster who had used her…just like that? What a strange girl. And yet, he couldn't seem to bring himself to be annoyed at her this time.

They sat there in silence for a few more minutes before Selim decided to get to the subject of escape.

"So, I'm guessing they took all of your alchemy circles."

"Yes. And chained my hands over my head. I can't draw anything."

"Of course."

"But they've been coming to check up on us every half an hour or so as far as I can tell. They turn off the light in the room outside, but there is always at least a little that gets in. Can you use your shadow powers then?"

And somehow, just how she'd said that made it seem so much cheesier. He rolled his eyes as his general annoyance towards her returned. "Yes. That shouldn't be a problem."

"You sure?"

He frowned, not caring that she couldn't see it. "Yes. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You worried me earlier," was her only response along with another rustling of fabric as she either shrugged or shifted. "And the others said you were having a hard time using your powers, and darkness makes it harder for you to use them, right?"

"My shadows are always there," he responded, his voice just a little chilly. "They require quite a bit of energy, but as long as there is at least a little light, that shouldn't be a problem, especially if I can eat some of those plants."

She must have caught the note in his voice because she shifted again, and when she spoke her voice had regained some of its old fire. "You have a plan."

"Yes, but we're going to need a diversion."

She paused thoughtfully. "There's a code red message that will get General Mustang to act—attack again or what not—if I can get it to him."

Selim was sure his response should have sucked water from the air. "Two problems with that. First, how do we get a message to him at all, and second, why would the man I tried to kill do anything to help me out?"

"He might not like helping you at the moment," Mandy said, her voice derisive, "but I don't think he'll just abandon me."

"Gotten that far up in his graces, have you?" Selim shot back, wondering why he sounded so angry. Probably just because it was Mustang they were arguing about.

"Look," Mandy returned sounding more than a little put out, "he wants Clemin gone and this whole mess cleaned up. If he can take out the FFO now, he will. He won't let his personal feelings get in the way."

"Wow," Selim sneered, "you're a real fan girl, aren't you?"

"Tell me I'm wrong."

He couldn't. Not truthfully. Mustang had made 'deals with the devil' before to reach his goals, and Selim had no doubt that he would again.

"That still leaves the problem of getting a message to him in the first place," he said instead.

"Can't you send a shadow to him? I mean, can they stretch that long?"

He decided to forgo explaining that the shadows didn't 'stretch' like she thought and instead, seriously considered the question because really, what else did he have to work with at this point?

"If I had enough time and was able to eat something, yes."

"How long?"

Selim shrugged. "It depends on how far away he is."

"I think he's in the hotel on the lower levels," Mandy said.

That would be too easy. He raised an eyebrow in her direction, still not caring that she couldn't see him. "Then I'd need two or three minutes to relay a message, depending on how long the message is and how long it takes me to find him."

"Hmm," Mandy responded. "I think I can keep the guard talking for that long, but he might realize I'm stalling, and you'll have to pretend to be asleep or we'll have to fight our way out."

He was surprised she'd caught onto his general plan so quickly without him really explaining it. But then again, it was really the most plausible thing for them to do. A distraction, sneak out as best they could or take on every person they came across. As tired as he was, the first option would be best, and she knew it.

"You won't have to stall too much. Keep him talking as long as possible, but if it's only a few seconds, that's more than enough time."

He could imagine her blinking in surprise at him and smirked as she spoke uncertainly, "So, what are you going to do?"

"I don't need a lot of light," he explained. "Just the tiniest amount will technically create shadows. So I'll cut our handcuffs when he opens the door. You just need to make sure that he doesn't see it."

"Got it," she said, albeit a bit hesitantly.

Selim continued. "After that, it shouldn't be difficult extricating ourselves. I'll make sure there's at least a small hole in the door to the room outside and that will give me enough light to work with." Gah, it was so tiring explaining all of it like that, but he wasn't about to leave her behind, not when he could collapse at any moment. He had no doubt she would help him if the fatigue got the better of him again. Well, that and if they did run into Mustang, he would definitely need someone on his side. Also, the human side of him balked at the thought of abandoning her.

"And by then we should have more than enough time to contact the General and have him start the diversion," Mandy finished.

Selim nodded. "We'll undoubtedly have to deal with someone coming in to kill us, but we will have the element of surprise. Besides, you are Clemin's bargaining chip. He won't kill you until he has to."

"How reassuring," Mandy said blandly.

Selim snorted. "He doesn't want you dead. You should be grateful."

She paused for a moment before she asked a question he hadn't been expecting. "Why does he hate you so much?"

For a moment, he considered not answering, but really, he didn't have anyone to protect and talking got his mind off of the darkness surrounding him. He hadn't panicked yet, and he refused to give in to such base instincts. He had more control than that. He tried to ignore the memories of the horrible train-ride with the Elrics but failed rather miserably. Still, in this case he wasn't bouncing around like Gluttony on sugar and he didn't have to put up with the presences of two of his worst enemies. Yes, this was far more manageable than that. Still not ideal, and he needed to keep himself distracted, but he could handle this.

So he decided to answer her. "You know who I am and what part I had to play in the destruction of Amestris," he said softly.

"Yes," she responded, her own voice just as soft. "I do."

"Well, he was one of our inner circle. He helped run the country according to my father's wishes. In return he was supposed to become a philosopher's stone in his own right; an immortal. He didn't realize that Father had other ideas—that he didn't care for any promises made to humans, who he saw as nothing but fodder for his plans. I helped Father betray Clemin and he hates me for it."

"I see."

No, she probably didn't, but she did have at least a basic idea now.

"So, when do you think our guard will come back and check on us?" Selim asked, turning the conversation back to the task at hand.

"Well, he came just a few minutes before you woke up, so he should be coming back here pretty soon."

"Good," Selim said. "The sooner the better."

xXx

Sometimes, Roy _really_ hated his job. Usually this general disdain aroused itself from sleep when he had to report to the Fuehrer.

He respected Olivier. He really did. That didn't mean he enjoyed speaking with her.

"So, basically," she started, her voice drier than the blasted desert, "you aren't going in and attacking because one of your underlings was stupid enough to be taken prisoner in place of the hostages that were rescued by, from my recollection, a being that wanted to destroy all human beings. Oh, and on a side note, they'll probably kill said being for us. Am I missing anything?"

Mustang grit his teeth. "I'm not going to endanger her. It's not hurting anyone to wait for a little longer."

"It's giving him more time to escape and endanger more people!"

"He's not getting out. I have the area around the hotel crawling with guards, the entire hotel itself practically strip-searched and completely secured with the exception of the few top-level rooms where he's holed up."

A grim silence from the other end and then a sigh. "I'm getting too old for this, Mustang," she said quietly. "Too old and too cynical. Ten years ago I wouldn't have even suggested you sacrifice your subordinate."

That actually went a long way to calming his temper. "Ten years ago you were a new Fuehrer dealing with possible wars on three fronts."

"And now I'm just an old Fuehrer dealing with possible wars on three fronts. Some things never change."

He smiled nostalgically. "We'll get him, sir," he said softly.

"You'd better," she responded, but there was no bite to her words. She just seemed old and tired. Then her voice gained just a spark of her old fire. "And save your subordinate."

"Yes, sir."

"I'd say goodnight, but—"

She cut off as Roy noticed something move out of the corner of his eye and jumped back with a surprised shout. The phone clattered to the floor. In front of him, a slim, shadow-like creature rose off of the table, one eye glaring at him while part of it split open to reveal some jagged-looking teeth.

"Ah, Mustang," a voice from the shadow said.

Roy had fired off a fire ball before he'd thought about it. So much for using alchemy sparingly. The shadow vanished for a moment only to be replaced by another one almost immediately.

The General found himself rather glad Riza wasn't in the room because she would have killed him for the colorful language he spouted. Lately, for some reason, she had taken to getting on his case for speaking like that. Something about public relations and breaking habits.

After a moment, he was able to calm himself down while glaring daggers at the thing. If it had wanted to kill him, it could have when he'd been distracted by his phone call with Olivier. So why hadn't it?

"Sir?" Hawkeye asked as she rushed in. "What…" and then she spotted the shadow construct, which had turned to look at her in that strange, side-ways fashion that Mustang remembered. It had always seemed so unnatural to him…not that there was anything natural about a homunculus. She immediately took out her gun and pointed it at the thing.

"Please," the thing said in the strange, multiple voice of Pride, "do you honestly think your bullets can do anything to me?"

"What do you want?" Roy cut in angrily. He hated being caught off guard like that and his ego really smarted right now.

He wouldn't have thought it possible for the shadow monster to give him a dry look, but it did, somehow. "The black fox jumped over the brown, lazy dog."

Roy froze. That was a phrase the new alchemists had learned if they were in trouble. Why would Pride be giving it to him…unless…. "What have you done with Parkins?" he asked, his voice dangerous.

The thing actually rolled its eye at him. "She's right here and she's safe."

"And I have your word for that?" Roy returned heatedly.

"Yes, you do. And it will be all the proof I can offer."

He snorted. "Little good that proof does you. You could have just swallowed her memories."

The pause that followed seemed all too thoughtful. "I could do that, you're correct. However, I have found recently that I have a slight…distaste for human souls."

"What do you want and offer me something concrete."

Roy could have sworn he saw a little twitch in the shadowed area around the eye. "I knew this was a waste of time and energy. Fine, I'll find my own way out, but don't blame me if your 'subordinate' gets herself killed."

At that, Roy grit his teeth. "Fine. What do you want?"

"Attack now. We need a diversion. As a bonus, I'll even get Clemin for you."

"More like you'll eat him."

"Don't tempt me," the shadow shot back, then seemed to think for a moment. "On second thought, I would not want his soul being the only one bouncing around inside of my stone. Ugh."

That comment more than anything else made Roy consider doing what the shadow asked.

Hawkeye must have been able to tell because she spoke up warningly. "Sir, why are you thinking of listening to…that thing?"

Roy silenced her with a look, but he knew he'd be paying for it later. Then he glanced back at the shadow thing, only to realize that it seemed to be shrinking.

Apparently Pride noticed it as well. "I can't hold this up anymore. You have ten minutes to create a diversion before Mandy and I break out and figure this all out on our own. Your choice, General."

And the shadow vanished as if it had never been. Mustang could hear Olivier screaming orders at him over the phone that was still on the floor, but he ignored it as his mind ran over the previous conversation.

"Sir, you can't possibly—" Hawkeye started, drawing him out of his contemplation.

"It doesn't make sense," he said, cutting her off.

She paused, blinking at him. "What, sir?"

"Why would he contact me? It makes no sense. We're enemies, so why? Besides, this way we have a chance at getting Parkins back alive."

"Don't count on it," she responded darkly.

Roy turned to her, frown on his face. "Then call it a gut feeling, lieutenant." With that, he turned around and placed the phone receiver back on the base, effectively hanging up on the Fuehrer. He knew she would agree with his subordinate, but he hadn't gotten where he was without taking a few risks here and there.

"Assemble the men," he said in his quiet but authoritative voice, the one he rarely used with her. "We attack now."

She wasn't happy, but she still nodded. "Sir!" With that one shout of acknowledgement, she turned and stalked out of the room. He winced. He'd be paying for that later. Still, if this would get him his subordinate back… They'd already lost four men, and in his opinion they were four men too many. He was determined to not lose any more people tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to Shade 40 for all of her help! Wouldn't have been able to do it without her! :D So yeah, climax coming soon. :) Hope it lives up to everyone's expectations.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: So, in an attempt to keep myself motivated into continuing to write this now (I just tend to lose motivation after a little while with each story I write, I think it's just how I am—don't worry, I'm NOT abandoning it), I went back and reread the entire story. It felt like it moved a LOT faster than I originally planned (and here I thought my pacing was decent *smacks head against the wall*) and I have come across at least two obvious places that don't mesh and need to be fixed. However, I've come to where I've fallen in love with the characters all over again, and so I'd like to thank people who kept up with the story and who keep getting on my case about finishing it. It helps, a lot.
> 
> Now that we're at the last few chapters, I can't help but look back at everything. I've grown a lot while writing this story, and it's kind of amazing as to where it's led. I know it isn't the most popular story ever, but I've enjoyed it, and I think that's what counts.
> 
> Anyway, without any further Ado…

The luxurious suite that made up a good half of the entire top floor of the hotel had a total of five rooms, according to Mandy. The first room, a sitting room of sorts, had furniture and a few side tables they figured they may be able to use. The second was the main bathroom just inside the suite door, something she believed to be fairly spacious from the brief glance she'd gotten when she'd been dragged in, noteworthy but not particularly significant otherwise.

The third had been (in her words) 'an enormous room that shouldn't exist in a hotel.' It consisted of a combination kitchen and dining room. She'd seen a good many windows in the room, at least that's what she'd assumed the many drapes in the room covered, but other than that there wasn't anything significant she remembered about the room except that no one had gone near the table (they had whatever plans they'd been going over laid out on the island in the cooking area instead).

The fourth was the bedroom which held one king-sized bed but had more than enough room for any temporary beds should more people stay in the suite. It also held the walk-in closet that Mandy and Selim had been kept in. The fifth was the bedroom bathroom, a small thing with a stand-up shower only. It had been very useful for them though, as they had been able to generate more than enough light for Selim's shadow usage by simply flipping the light switch.

After giving their message to Mustang, Selim had sent his shadows out in thin, hopefully unnoticeable strips to eat what he could from the other rooms before coming up with a general idea as to what to do.

Now he sat in the corner of the bedroom behind the door figuring that it would be easily overlooked and, if they were lucky, he and Mandy (who had situated herself in the opposite corner) might be able to sneak up on anyone who came in. Breaking out after the grunt Clemin had sent to check on them left had been simple enough. The light had been dimmer than he would have liked, and his shadows had been slow in responding, but they had done the job. Then they'd found the bathroom and any problems with his shadows (with the exception of the ever present fatigue) had practically vanished.

After coming up with a basic plan, he and Mandy had used the bed sheets in the room to dress his gunshot. It had gone through his fore arm and actually wasn't as bad as he'd originally thought. It had more or less grazed his arm at a diagonal, leaving a small gash that went deeper as it traveled up his arm and eventually disappeared under the skin altogether before exiting near his elbow. He was lucky it hadn't hit anything serious, but that was the worst of it. It had obviously clotted quickly and would only cause him a lot of pain when he moved it.

The wound he was more worried about was the one on his shoulder. He'd more or less gotten used to the throbbing it caused and had been able to ignore it for the most part for a while now. Unfortunately, once he took stock, he realized that while the wound hadn't torn open, it definitely wasn't reacting well to all of the abuse. He would have to be careful with it if he wanted to continue to use his arm. Fortunately his other shoulder seemed to be holding up well.

It hadn't been easy to dress the wounds in the dark, but he and Mandy had managed. All of the plants in the room (and what kind of hotel would keep plants in a bedroom, even if he was grateful?) had helped.

Now it was just a matter of either waiting for the General or for Clemin to make some sort of move. He wasn't a hundred percent sure which one he preferred. He knew that he and Mandy had been lucky so far, but once everything hit the fan, it probably wouldn't matter who had started what. He still did not like waiting. He wanted whatever was going to happen to happen as soon as possible, if only so they could get this entire thing over with and put it behind them.

Mandy, he could tell, was a ball of nervous anticipation, just as ready to get out of this mess as he was. Even though he could barely see her over in her corner, he could hear her shifting constantly and rubbing her hands together, or her fingers, or see enough to realize she was twirling a curl in her hair around her finger. In this case, Selim was thankful for that dark because not being able to see all of her nervous movements meant they didn't annoy him as much as they may have otherwise and he really didn't need anything else wearing on his nerves.

As he'd taken to doing lately, he used the downtime to forcefully calm himself down and do some introspection. He'd been a lot more decisive since he'd more or less come to terms with his opposing personalities, and he felt a lot calmer now as well. In all truth, he suspected that the whole conflict hadn't gone away indefinitely (he doubted it ever would) but deciding that he was different and that that was alright, as simple as it sounded, had given him a peace that he doubted he ever could have found as either Pride or Selim. He didn't kill humans anymore, and that was alright. He didn't love the human race as a whole either, and that was alright too. At least for now. He suspected that that would change later—because everything about him seemed to change and grow, either for good or for bad these days—but he was almost looking forward to seeing where this new turn would take him.

For the first time that he could remember, he didn't feel…well, stagnant. This freedom had given him the room he hadn't known he needed to grow into himself. And if this was how humans always felt, then maybe Pride hadn't given them the respect they deserved. He still felt he was a superior being, but that just didn't seem to mean as much as it had before.

A sudden bustle of movement outside drew him out of his thoughts. Across from him, Mandy perked up. They exchanged glances, even though neither could see the other's eyes very well. This was it.

As of right now, the plan consisted of them taking out whoever came into the room. Hopefully there wouldn't be too many people and no one outside would notice. Then again, if either one of those rather undesirable situations happened, they would just keep fighting their way out. It would simply be easier if only one or a few men came in. Just one would actually work very nicely…

Once that had been taken care of, they would analyze the situation but neither one of them wanted to sit there and wait for more people to come. Selim had the idea of using the men who came in as a shield to get out (he may not kill people himself anymore, but he still had little scruples using them to defend himself and his fellow prisoner). Mandy wasn't keen on the idea, but she had allowed him to keep it as a last option. They both hoped it wouldn't be necessary.

Mandy was going to go for something to draw with as soon as they got into the other room, depending on who was in there. She could fight hand to hand, but she was an alchemist and would definitely fare much better if she could bring that particular talent to bear.

Selim had decided to try and go for Clemin, though. He was bound and determined to end that man's threat, and if that meant he had to corner the man, hog-tie him and drag him through several floors of the hotel, then so be it. Actually, he was considering just cutting directly through the floor again. After all, it had worked once already. He just hoped his energy held out.

That was the second thing he would do once they got out. He was going to consume anything he hadn't been able to secretly eat before. The plant energy was better than insects and animals, but it didn't tend to last for very long.

It took them all too long to finally come for the door, and they heard a lot of yells and shouts in the meantime.

One man actually said something loudly enough for Mandy and Selim to hear. "Sir, they're attacking! It seems that we're getting cornered and—"

He cut off as a deeper, far calmer voice interrupted him. It was muffled and neither Selim nor Mandy could hear what was being said, but Selim suspected it had something to do with 'So they don't care about the hostages' lives?' and then some orders to come in and kill them. Well, kill Mandy. Selim was positive Clemin wanted to take the homunculus out himself.

Predictably, several footsteps came their way.

"They're coming," Mandy hissed. Selim didn't bother rolling his eyes at her obvious comment. Instead he focused on the door and prepared his shadows. To his dismay, several people burst through the doorway, each pushing the other as if to encourage them to hurry. Selim and Mandy exchanged glances in the now lighter room, and Selim nodded.

Mandy returned the gesture and peered out of the doorway after the last man charged in. No one had noticed them. She reached out and gently closed the door, causing most of the men to whirl around, but it was too late. Selim had already used the light to create a shadow that cut through the floor beneath them. Half the room collapsed with a loud crash. Several men shot their guns as they fell, drowning out a lot of the other noise, which only worked to Selim and Mandy's advantage. Selim used his shadows to throw one or two of the men he'd missed into the hole, now that there was light coming in from below as well as from under the door.

"Well," Mandy said after a moment, "that was easy."

"Don't say that," Selim said. "It means we missed something. Come on."

They opened the door and peered out. A few men were coming in their direction, but that seemed to be all that was left up here. Selim figured that it was now or never and he didn't even bother trying to hide his shadows as they rushed out and grabbed one by the leg, throwing him against the other two. Mandy had already slipped out and had grabbed...the fire poker?

Selim looked strangely at her for a moment, but then she started to draw with the soot from the nearby fire place, having used the poker to get several ashes without burning herself. He nodded in approval before turning back to the men. There were a few plants he hadn't gotten to, and some that had been too prominent. He sent shadows out for all of them now.

The men on the floor were yelling and trying to move away from each other, but Selim held them down with a few shadows. After a moment, Mandy finished her circle and the men found themselves held down by the floor itself. Selim immediately released his shadows and turned to Mandy.

"Come on, let's—"

He cut off as he heard the cocking of a gun and instinctively dove to the floor. A bullet shot through the air where his head had been not moments before and he rolled to a kneeling position, noting that Mandy had thrown herself behind an armchair. Clemin stood in the doorway to what had to be the kitchen/dining area, gun pointed directly at Selim.

"I should have known," the large man said almost giddily.

Selim glared. "Yes, you should have."

Several more shots met his words and he had to bring up a shadow to block them all. It brought a strange sense of deja vu, but this time would be different. This time, he had his shadows and could defend himself.

"But then again," Clemin said as he pulled another hand gun out from somewhere and pointed it at Selim too, "this is so much more entertaining."

Selim simply stood, keeping a shadowed shield in front of him.

"Can you not see that it is impossible for you to win?" Selim asked condescendingly.

"Selim! Watch out!" Mandy shrieked from behind him. Selim turned in time to see a man jump from the door leading to the bathroom, gun pointed at him, already shooting. He cursed as he jumped back, trying to bring his shadows up quickly enough to block it. He managed just in time.

"You always did underestimate the human intellect!" Clemin cried madly, pulling what looked like a shotgun out from behind the wall next to where he was standing.

Selim's shield grew, but he could already feel it draining his energy. He caught a glimpse of a crackle of blue energy out of the corner of his eye and saw the door to the bedroom become a solid wall. At first he wondered why Mandy had done that, and then realized that this way the men from the floor below wouldn't be able to crawl back up to help their leader and he silently commended her foresight.

Then he went back to focusing on Clemin.

"Perhaps," he said to the man's previous comment, "but I still have a shield that only my brother and sister could break."

And then Mandy shrieked. Selim looked behind him to see where she'd thrown herself to the floor, a bullet having pierced the armchair she'd been crouching behind. Selim scowled. Clemin must have motioned for the other man to attack her. He'd have to expand his shield to—

And then she glared up. "Oh you did not…!" she growled and then finished the circle she'd apparently been working on. The floor and wall next to her thrust out and knocked the man back into the bathroom rather roughly. Right, she was an alchemist and could take care of herself. Sometimes he forgot that, what with her attitude and all.

"I'll take care of him," she said to Selim. "You focus on that jerk."

Selim nodded and heard Clemin growl. He then turned and opened an eye on the outside of his shadow. Sure enough, he was targeting her as she leapt towards the bathroom. Selim shot a shadow out and cut the gun in half. Clemin cursed angrily and fell back into the kitchen. The homunculus went to follow, holding a shield out in front of him in case Clemin found another gun. It proved to be a prudent precaution as more bullets bounced off of it when he turned the corner.

Clemin had fallen back towards a veritable wall of windows and what looked like a door leading to a balcony…and he'd managed to find more guns and a knife of all things. Selim rolled his eyes. Enough was enough.

He mentally ordered his shadows forward and while Clemin managed to duck many of them, he couldn't out maneuver them all. Really, it almost seemed anti-climactic. He pinned the man in the pathetic rip-off of an Amestrian uniform to the wall.

At first, as Selim approached, he thought the man was shaking with fear, but as he got closer, he realized Clemin was laughing. It didn't confuse the homunculus. He'd seen things like this before, when people went mad. He'd actually purposefully driven people to similar points before. He'd suspected for a while that Clemin wasn't all there upstairs. This just lent credence to his hunch.

He shook his head, half in disgust and half…well, he couldn't really identify the other emotion he felt. Regret? No. Sadness? Perhaps, but why would he feel that? No, that wasn't quite right either. And then it hit him. Pity. He pitied the man before him. As Pride he'd never pitied anyone, but this being before him used to be a powerful, ambitious man, and he'd been reduced to _this_.

"You have me, monster!" he shrieked as he looked down at Selim, eyes wild. "Kill me. Eat me. Do your worst!" And then his chuckles turned into hysterical guffaws.

Selim stared at the man for several seconds. This, he realized, was the kind of man he'd always associated with the word 'monstrous'. That hadn't changed. It took him a moment to realize that for the first time, both sides of him really and utterly agreed with each other. He liked that feeling.

"I'm curious," he finally said. "Could you define 'monster' for me? Someone who turns on their own race for their own selfish reasons or who cares little for how much they hurt others in their ambition? Perhaps someone who enjoys watching others in pain or who kills and sends others to be killed with little remorse? Because that term did apply to me in the past, but it also applied to everyone who agreed to be a part of father's plan. You used to associate with monsters on a regular basis. So why do you think of me as that much worse?"

Well, at least he'd stopped laughing, but his answer was far from calm. "You with your freaky tricks—you who isn't even human! You used people, went back on your word and then ate them! 'Monster' doesn't begin to scratch the surface!"

Selim chuckled mirthlessly. "I do not see how my humanity or lack thereof has anything to do with it."

He smiled softly, unsure as to why he was saying all of this. Is this what pity did to people? No wonder Edward and Alphonse had acted as they had towards him. It seemed to make him want the other man to understand, even though he knew it was impossible—that Clemin was too far gone. Despite that, he would have kept talking, if Clemin hadn't spoken up again.

"Of course it does!" the man growled. "You say everyone in the upper ranks of the military was as much of a monster as you, but you have far more experience than every single one of them combined." Selim wanted to roll his eyes. This was degrading fast, but he was on a roll of sorts.

"Experience is a funny thing," he said thoughtfully, trying to somehow put indefinable ideas into words. "It makes you who you are, and the littlest detail—the smallest piece of knowledge—can change a person. Fifteen years. That's all it took to change me irreparably." He shook his head again and looked up at the frowning man.

"You told me to eat you—to take your life for my own, hoard it inside my philosopher's stone, and use your soul as energy. But you're wrong; I've grown to be so different from what I used to be. I want to gain my own knowledge and experience—I want the freedom to live my life. That is something Pride could never have.

"I doubt anyone would fault me if I did eat you, but I won't because I'm not the monster you remember. I'm not Pride."

A beat of silence fell over the suite for just a moment, seemingly loud in and of itself after all of the noise. Then Clemin snarled.

"Once a monster, always a monster," the man spit back.

Selim raised one eyebrow, unable to help the somewhat incredulous smirk that crossed his face.

"Then, my dear Ex-General, what does that make you?"

He could hear the man grinding his teeth and realized that perhaps he was gloating a little here too. He should probably stop and follow through with his promise to take Clemin to Mustang. "I won't end your existence—won't give you the satisfaction. Let's go. You have an appointment with a Major General."

If looks could kill, Selim would have been lucky to be a pile of ash on the ground. Fortunately they couldn't and he turned his back on the man, taking note of Mandy standing in the doorway and watching him with a small smile. He didn't see a cruel, almost gleeful grin break over Clemin's face.

"Take it."

Selim paused, glancing at the man over his shoulder. "What?"

"Take it now!"

He was about to ask what the ex-general was talking about when another voice cried out.

"SELIM!" And something ran into him just as glass broke. Selim turned to look behind him, barely in time to see the bullet hit Mandy in the neck.

In the background, Clemin laughed.

xXx

_Six minutes earlier_

Mandy grabbed a handful of soot and leapt over the still struggling men she'd trapped on the floor towards the bathroom. She got there just in time to see the last henchman struggle out of the tub where he'd landed and jumped at him, throwing the soot in his face. He yelled and swore and swung at her, but she ducked under his swings easily and started drawing with her dirty hands on the wall. A simple, four-point circle with the edges extending just outside and—

An angry yell told her the man was coming at her, so she figured that would have to be good enough and ducked again, managing to roll out of the way in the rather spacious room. He hit the wall with a loud thump. She was grateful that he hadn't tried to shoot at her, and then noted the gun on the ground by the bath tub. He must have dropped it when she'd flung him in there.

She saw him turn towards her again but wasn't fast enough. She reached out and touched the circle with both hands, fingertips just barely brushing it, but it was enough. Tendrils of the wood, plaster and paint reformed around him just as he made to rush her again, and that quickly, he ended up as a long-term fixture on the wall, struggling against the transmuted material that held him firmly.

She sighed and slumped against the wall. He continued to thrash about in futility, swearing and yelling at her. She glanced at him as he ranted about how everyone associated with the Military would get what was coming to them and how she was evil…and those were the nice insults.

It only took her a few moments to realize that she wouldn't be getting anything else out of the man and tuned him out. After taking one last look around the room, she grabbed the gun, not wanting it to be anywhere near the man, whether he could move or not. Then, without saying a word to him, she turned on her heel and walked back out the door, making sure to check around the corner to see if the coast was clear first.

Neither Clemin nor Selim were in the sitting room, but she could hear some speaking from the next room over. Cautiously, she slipped over to the doorway leading to the large kitchen/dining area and peeked inside. She was almost jealous (for a second time) of the room she saw. It was lovely, wide and open, with a light décor that reminded her of summer. She'd immediately liked the room when she'd been brought in before and despite the dire situation, hadn't been able to resist looking around. Now as she did so again, she couldn't help but pause for just a moment. Something struck her as wrong.

It only took her a few moments to take in the situation. Selim seemed to have things well in hand, having pinned Clemin to the wall with his shadows, and while he still looked tired, he didn't seem to have any immediate problems, so she took another glance around the room. Then it struck her. Why had they taken down all the drapes? Hadn't they put some up to block any sniper attacks? That's what she'd assumed, at least. It would be so easy for the military to take a shot at him in here.

Actually, why hadn't they? Perhaps this was some sort of recent development? Did the military not have a sniper in place? Had he somehow been recalled? Had something happened? And something else seemed wrong about that thought too…

She glanced back at Selim who seemed to be talking to Clemin.

"Experience is a funny thing," he said thoughtfully and without a touch of menace in his voice. It almost reminded Mandy of the kid she'd met, but also seemed inherently changed somehow—not crueler, just…different. "It makes you who you are, and the littlest detail—the smallest piece of knowledge—can alter a person. Fifteen years. That's all it took to change me irreparably.

"You told me to eat you…." Mandy continued to listen as he talked, curious (despite her wariness) as to what he was saying. "…I want the freedom to live my life. That is something Pride could never have."

What surprised her the most about that was how he spoke of himself, in third person, like he didn't associate with Pride anymore. She wouldn't have expected that of him. It gave her hope that, yes, perhaps he wasn't the Selim she'd gotten to know, but he also wasn't the person that the General had described either. The realization lifted a weight from her heart, especially with his the next words.

"I doubt anyone would fault me if I did eat you, but I won't because I'm not the monster you remember. I'm not Pride."

A beat of silence fell over the suite for just a moment, seemingly loud in and of itself after all of the noise. Then Clemin snarled.

"Once a monster, always a monster," Clemin said caustically.

Selim raised one eyebrow as the tiniest—almost pitying—smirk stole across his face. "Then, my dear Ex-General, what does that make you?"

Mandy giggled softly. He had a point. This man had hurt so many people. She would definitely qualify him as a 'monster'.

"I won't end your existence," Selim continued, sounding resigned, "won't give you the satisfaction. Let's go. You have an appointment with a Major General."

Mandy couldn't help it, her face broke into a wide grin.

The former General looked like he wished to shoot Selim right then and there. Selim turned and caught her eye. To her surprise, he looked relieved to see her. She returned it and glanced over at Clemin one last time. Her own smile vanished as she saw the look that had grown on the older man's face as he glared almost hungrily at Selim's back.

"Take it," he growled, and somehow it clicked in Mandy's mind. This was a set up. That's why he was in here now!

Selim looked over his shoulder at the man in confusion. "What?" And Mandy realized he wouldn't move in time—wouldn't understand.

"Take it now!"

"SELIM!" she screamed, rushing forward almost unconsciously. She couldn't let him die, not after what he'd just said—not after realizing he'd gained the freedom to live his own life.

She ran into him just as glass broke, and then something hit her throat…

xXx

Selim saw the whole thing as if in slow motion. Mandy's head swung back as a hole appeared in her throat. Her momentum from earlier didn't have enough energy behind it to withstand the weapon, and so she staggered to the side and then fell to her hands and knees, gasping. His eyes grew wide. She'd just saved him…from a shot…from a sniper? Falk!

He threw up a shield from the general direction the shot had come from and then fell to his knees, ignoring Clemin's strange mix of laughter and curses.

"Mandy?! Mandy!" There was so much blood…too much blood. He'd seen people bleed out before—had been the cause of it more than once in truth. Falk must have hit an artery. Once an artery was severed, it took minutes (if that) to reach a point of no return. Mandy had to have been incredibly unlucky…and _ridiculously_ stupid. _Why_ had she done that?!

She opened her mouth, trying to gasp through the blood before collapsing to the floor. It probably only took a few (far too precious) seconds for Selim to process the situation. For the first time since he'd regained his memories, he felt genuine fear, not for himself, but for someone he'd come to look up to—someone who had lied to him and manipulated him, yes, but someone who had also stuck her neck out for him more than once; someone who had come to sit in the dark with him twice simply because she knew how much he feared it; someone who had learned who and what he was and hadn't cared—well, hadn't let it drive him away. She'd still trusted him, despite knowing what he'd done—what he still _could_ do; despite witnessing it herself.

And she'd pushed him out of the way. For her actions, she would die in his place. No one had ever done that for him before. Not in 300 years. None of the other homunculi, not his father, not any human he'd come to know.

He realized that he'd heard another crash and then the bullet hitting his shield on the other side, so moving was out of the question. The note processed in his mind, but ultimately it didn't matter at the moment because he didn't dare move her. He made sure to keep Clemin pinned to the wall –the last thing he needed was to forget about that potential threat—but those seconds where he analyzed the situation felt like hours for some reason.

Finally he reached her side and had his hands on the wound, trying to stop the bleeding, before he'd consciously thought about it. He briefly considered using a shadow to stop it, but dismissed the idea almost immediately. He doubted it would have any more affect than his hands were having. If the artery were somehow severed or shot through or whatever, then it would continue to bleed, and he really needed all of the energy he could conserve.

His mind registered that thought and, as he knelt there and watched the puddle of blood grow beneath her, he realized for the first time that he didn't want her—a human—to die. Actually, he would do anything to make sure she didn't die! Anything.

"Mandy! Stay with me! Look at me! Focus!" he snapped his fingers in front of her unfocused eyes, but she didn't seem to hear him. She was dying…and he couldn't do anything about it.

"Mandy!"

Wait, that wasn't quite true. An idea came to him, and he paused for just a moment before glancing around them. They were on the kitchen floor, a hard surface that wouldn't be difficult to scratch into…

There was something he could do—and it may not even work, but if someone wanted something desperately enough…and he could make it happen.

He hesitated for just the briefest second before ordering even more shadows out. He could push himself for this…

But then another thought occurred to him. Could he do what he was contemplating to her as well? She may not live through it...

"Mandy!" he reached down and shook her a little. It seemed to snap her out of the shocked daze she'd gone into and she looked up at him lethargically. "I can save you," he said. "Do you want me to?"

Because he couldn't bring himself to act without getting her permission at least.

xXx

Mandy tried to gasp, but it was hard to breathe. She crumbled to the ground in shock. She'd been shot instead of Selim. Why had she done that? Why had she been so stupid? And yet, she couldn't bring herself to really regret it. She'd just saved the kid that had put her life in danger multiple times—the kid who had once been a monster—and found that she was strangely alright with that.

He was saying something—asking her something, she thought, but all she could hear was Clemin's laugh in the background as she tried and failed to breathe. Why did it sound so wet? And it hurt a lot, but not as much as she would have expected. The room was getting cold…

Then something shook her.

"I can save you!" Selim yelled, and somehow she understood that. "Do you want me to?"

Somehow she knew that wasn't possible and wondered briefly over the fact that her death didn't seem to affect her emotionally.

"You…can't," she finally managed to gasp.

"I can!" he insisted. "You may not like the results though."

She didn't quite get that last one. Her eyelids grew heavy. She needed to rest, just for a second. She knew in the back of her mind that that wasn't good, but she couldn't seem to muster the motivation or energy to do anything about it. Selim seemed to realize what was going on too.

"I'm sorry," he said, sounding more sincere than she'd ever heard him. And then she felt something tear inside of her, forcing something open. If she could have screamed, she would have.

And then everything went white.

 


	27. Chapter 27

"West hall secure, sir," a lieutenant Roy had only seen in passing before reported to him. The man had a shock of red hair, which helped the Major General to remember him and Roy made a mental note to learn the man's name. He seemed rather competent and Roy was always on the lookout for a good soldier that he could count on. He'd been finding more of those types of people around lately.

They'd managed to secure the fourth floor of the hotel and now it was only a matter of getting through Clemin's last defenses. He'd considered using his gloves, but had decided against it. He doubted it would help them take the hotel faster and Riza and her team seemed to have everything under control.

The gunshots had lessened in frequency and while they had a few more casualties, none of them had been fatal. Now if only they could get Parkins back…

Beside him, Hawkeye gave the hand signal that they would be moving on and everyone prepared to follow her lead. This was the last hallway that they needed to overtake. They moved slowly, unable to open the doors to the other rooms on the floor without doing serious damage (which they'd been asked to avoid), and so they advanced comparatively slowly, weapons raised and at the ready.

Fortunately, they met no further resistance. The FFO had to be on its last legs.

"Sir!" the red-headed communications officer said suddenly. "We have a situation on the fourth floor and they need reinforcements!"

"Redirect from the first and second floors," he ordered, keeping his eyes firmly on the door to the main suite. Not only was his subordinate behind that door, but Clemin and Pride too. He would be needed here, and so would the small entourage he'd brought with him.

"Yes, sir!" the man said and relayed the orders into the microphone that connected to the large bundle of equipment tied onto his back.

They all stood to the side of the door and Roy clapped his hands before setting them on the door handle. An alchemic shock of blue ran over it for a split second. The door lock would have to be replaced, but hopefully that would be the worst of the damage that would happen at this point.

Another lieutenant, a woman with a hard face and black hair tied back into a thin braid that fell down her back, reached over and opened the door before leaning to the side and out of the way of any gun shots that would come her way. Nothing happened. They got a scope to look around the side of the doorway and the woman, Lieutenant Jackson if Roy remembered correctly, nodded that she would be going ahead.

They entered the room, weapons at the ready, only to find a group of men restrained with what had to have been alchemy as the floor itself looked like it had grown up to wrap around them as a group. With how the men were sprawled and how they struggled and insulted each other, it couldn't be comfortable, but they were obviously not a threat at the moment.

The military group quickly scouted the rest of the suite, finding nothing in the bedroom and one other restrained and yelling man in the main bathroom before they moved on to the final room. They heard someone yelling from the kitchen area and that had to be Clemin laughing so loudly. Roy exchanged glances with Riza and they approached as quickly as they dared. Clearing the room had only taken thirty or so seconds and had felt rather anti-climactic, but something told Roy that this was only the calm before the storm.

Riza led the way into the last room, moving slowly and carefully, moving her hand and arm at the door in case anyone was prepared to shoot at them when they walked in. Nothing happened and so Roy gave the nod to go ahead.

She nodded in acknowledgment and swung her gun up and into the room. From the look on her face she did not like what she'd seen. She still managed to signal for Roy to follow and he rushed in just in time to see the last thing he'd been expecting. Pride's shadows had just released Clemin from where he'd been pinned to the wall on the other side of the room where the glass windows met the solid wall. The homunculus in question knelt over a prone form near where the ex-General fell.

It wasn't the positions of everyone in the room that really got to Roy but the circle of alchemy that lay on the floor around Parkins and Pride. He paled, recognizing it immediately, even from several yards away.

It was already glowing.

Roy made to leap forward. He had to stop it! He couldn't let anyone else go through _that_!

Before he could move, though, the homunculus opened his mouth. "No," he whispered, suddenly looking desperate.

"Sir," Riza said quietly and putting her arm out to stop her superior from advancing further into the room. He made to push her hand away but the look she shot him stopped him in his tracks. He noted her pale but determined face and any argument he had died on his lips. "I think there's a sniper."

He could only blink at her. "What makes you say that?"

"He has a shield up between him and the windows."

"NO!" Pride yelled angrily. The blue light of the transmutation circle had begun to fade.

"Don't move, Martov Clemin," Riza growled more loudly, her voice hard and directed at the man who had just regained his feet.

Roy glanced up just in time to see the ex-general grin madly at them and then rush towards the window. Riza shot, hitting him twice before he shattered the window and a third time afterwards, but none of the shots stopped the man from jumping through the pane and out into the early morning air. He disappeared from view and Roy closed his eyes, bringing a hand up to rub the bridge of his nose.

He'd lost Clemin. The only up side would be that they should be able to confirm his body and that he no longer posed a threat. Still, he could hear Olivier's angry dressing down already. Somehow he didn't think this headache that had come on would ever go away.

Tiredly, he put his hands together and skirted the room, making sure to keep out of view of the sniper, at least judging by the angle where Pride had raised his shield and where he still sat next to Parkins. Then he put his hands on the windows and focused on turning them opaque. It wasn't difficult. A minor molecule structure change and he had an easily reversible transmutation that should keep him and any men safe while he confronted Pride.

Well, safer.

Motioning for everyone else to stay back, he advanced towards the homunculus. Riza would make sure they fired if Pride decided to pull the same trick he had on the train, and he didn't feel that sending anyone else in was worth the safety risk. Pride was dangerous, but then so was Mustang.

"Parkins?" he asked when he had come within a few feet.

The memory of what happened next would stay with him for the rest of his life.

xXx

_8 minutes earlier_

There were a few major arteries that, if hit correctly or sliced through completely, could have the victim bleeding out in under two minutes—sometimes less. Apparently, Mandy's artery had been hit just right. She was slipping away. Selim could see it; knew what it looked like. He'd seen people pale and grow limp and stop struggling. As Pride, he'd actually timed a few similar cases out of sheer curiosity.

He pushed such thoughts from his mind as quickly as they popped up, though. He didn't have time for them. He doubted she could even answer anymore…and so he made his choice.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, and for, perhaps, the first time in his life, he truly meant it. He knew the sensation was unpleasant. He knew that it would leave her feeling open and violated on a deeply spiritual level. He knew she may not forgive him…but then she would be alive to be upset at him, and strangely, he could live with that.

His shadows finished the circle and he looked up at Clemin who was watching them with a puzzled expression. He didn't know what to do with the man and Selim couldn't just leave him there. Neither Mandy or he would be in any shape to handle the former general when this finished.

But he didn't have time to figure anything out at the moment either. He figured he'd have to leave the man and just take his chances, and had prepared to do just that when something moved at the door. It was now or never.

He hoped the person at the door wasn't one of Clemin's men. Still, he didn't have much of a choice if he wanted to save her. So with that, he retracted the shadows pinning Clemin to the wall and forced Mandy's gate open.

Her eyelids shot up, eyes widening in pain. He was almost relieved at the reaction. Apparently she still had enough presence of mind to recognize that discomfort.

The circle around them began to glow and Selim focused the energy on her neck, on fixing the wound there. He could repair the artery and then all they would have to do was get some blood into her system and she should make a full recovery.

There had been very few alchemists in history that could heal. There had been two reasons for that. Firstly, it strayed terribly close to the 'human transmutation' taboo, which most people did not want to deal with, and secondly, the human body was one of the most complex systems to ever evolve. Most people who did originally experiment with alchemy didn't know enough to pull off a medical transmutation successfully.

Many of those alchemists who did manage to learn to heal tended to be people who had little scruples with torturing and experimenting. Often they were people who didn't much care to save others, but had a goal of satisfying their own curiosity. At least, in Selim's experience. People like Doctor Trevor 'Gold-Tooth' Moranus*.

Still, there had been a few alchemic doctors who truly cared to help their patients and those around them. Doctor Marcoh had been one. He'd often used both complete and incomplete philosopher's stones to make up for any knowledge he lacked, but he'd been one of the few who had gone out of his way to help others after dedicating his life to understanding how the human body worked.

Selim, too had the knowledge of alchemic healing. After three hundred years and having to study humans simply because Father had commanded it of him, there was little he didn't know about the body. A lot of what he knew was from personal experience, even. It helped that he'd absorbed a lot of medical and scientific information from Moranus for the fifth sacrifice as well.

His plan had been simple: Force Mandy's gate open and have her heal herself before she bled out. As long as he could control the transmutation, he didn't see why it shouldn't work. No, Selim wasn't an alchemist, but that shouldn't make a difference as long as he knew how to direct the energy.

Not for the first time, he wondered what it would be like to be able to perform alchemy on his own. The last time he'd tried had been almost a decade before, about six-seven years after the promised day. After several unsuccessful attempts, he'd concluded that he didn't have the talent for it and had given up. He'd actually sulked around the house for almost a week before his mother had confronted him.

But as Pride, the first homunculus and the being closest to the Gate next to his father, he could force an alchemist's gate open—force a transmutation. He'd done it before (although rarely), and he never knew _exactly_ what had been taken each time he'd tried, it had always been some sort of stabilizing factor and a great deal of energy.

He'd only seen Truth once before—when he'd sent Mustang to the gate, because Pride had only ever experimented with forcing a normal transmutation before that. He'd been successful and had never seen the being that guarded the gate during those instances, although he could still…well, he could almost sense the guardian of the gate there. His father had forbidden him from ever trying a human transmutation unless they had no other choice. After a regular transmutation it would take him anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to regain full strength. They had theorized that if he had tried a human transmutation, it would have irreparably changed him, and not for the better.

As he was now, he had no idea what the price of forcing Mandy's gate open would be. He wasn't the same being physically or mentally as he had been, and didn't know what he would have to give up. He was already low on energy, but somehow he desperately wanted to save the girl and was willing to sacrifice just about anything to do so. He didn't know why.

At that moment, he realized that the alchemic energy he'd been focused on directing had begun to peter off.

"No!" he growled, desperately pushing further. It didn't help. After a few more seconds, Mandy went limp in his arms, eyes open and blank. "NO!" he yelled again, grasping desperately at the power, but the gate was vanishing, not just closing. The more he pulled at it, the less energy there was.

He grit his teeth, focusing with all his might. He had fixed her body! The wound was whole! Why wasn't she recovering? Why…

And then, nothing.

The glowing of the circle faded and he sat there, staring at the body of the person who had been his constant companion for the last several weeks. The person he'd grown strangely close to—who he considered a friend, despite everything that had happened between them.

No, _because_ of everything that had happened between them. She'd known about him and betrayed him and practically handed him over to the military, but she had never done so with the intent to harm him. She'd cared for him, despite discovering his true nature at some point along their journey, and she had died saving him.

Why?

He didn't understand.

Was that why he had to save her? For a similar reason as when he'd come to save Johan? Because he needed her to explain this to him and only she could?

That was part of it, but…not all of it.

He didn't know how long he sat there, trying to wrap his head around what had happened. It could have been seconds or days. He felt numb inside and knew he'd somehow gone into shock. He heard some noises in the background, a crash of what may have been glass, but he couldn't find the motivation to move and see what had happened.

 _Why_? It was the only thought that he seemed capable of thinking as it ran through his head over and over again.

Why was he reacting like this? Did his time as Selim have such a hold on him? Had his being forced to live as a human actually caused him to somehow _become_ more human? Was this how humans felt all the time?

"Parkins?" a voice broke through his thoughts and he looked up to see the visage of Major General Roy Mustang looking down at him and Mandy with a mixture of trepidation, worry and confusion.

"She's dead," Selim said simply. He didn't expect those words to hurt, so much more deeply than any physical injury he could remember receiving. The numbness began to fall away and he wanted it back. "She died saving me."

He choked on the words. The part of his mind that was still somewhat logical couldn't help the confusion that rose at his reaction. Was he…crying? Pride had never _cried_ before. Not really. Selim had often enough, but not like this.

After a moment, he looked up at Mustang, not caring that he had tears running down his cheeks.

"Is this why you wanted to bring him back? Your friend Hughes? Because…it hurt like this?" And for the first time, he felt he could really understand Roy Mustang, and the Elric Brothers and Izumi Curtis and even (to his disgust) Hoenheim. For the first time, he realized just what becoming a sacrifice for his father had entailed, and that realization hurt even more. He had caused other beings to hurt like this. Yes, they were lesser beings, but somehow he still hated that idea. It must be his human side coming through because he had no other explanation. At least, none that he wanted to really consider.

"If this is what being human is like, then I don't blame Father for wanting to be rid of it!" he yelled suddenly, fists clenching in anger. It didn't stop the tears cascading down his cheeks. If anything his yelling made them flow even more freely and he couldn't seem to stop it. He wanted to. Desperately. Suddenly he wished for nothing more than to banish this _feeling_ and everything associated with it—even the memory of it—into the depths of his mind and soul, never to be experienced or acknowledged again. "I'd rather be a homunculus! Because even living in slavery for three hundred years is better than this!"

Then something occurred to him that almost froze his blood in his veins. What if it had been someone he'd _really_ cared about? Like his mother or Johan…. He choked again, trying to gasp for air and not succeeding.

"Why?" he managed to get out as he looked up at an ever more confused Mustang. "Why do I feel like this? I don't understand…"

And Mustang didn't either. Selim could see it in the man's milky eyes. The eyes that shouldn't ever have seen again.

The eyes that had seen the Gate.

He didn't know why, but the words he spoke next slipped out before he could really catch them.

"Y-you could bring her back."

Mustang was not expecting that because his eyes widened and his brow furrowed in incredulity.

"What?"

Her soul may not have gone through the gate yet. You could get her! You could _save_ her!"

When he looked back later, he would count it as one of his greatest shames. The epitome of pride had been reduced to practically begging. But at that moment, hope had overruled both his pride and his logic.

He hadn't ever realized just how potent hope could be, only that his father had utilized the feeling in others. Now he could see why.

And then, for the first time, Mustang's expression towards him grew soft. It wasn't a pleasant look, pitying and nostalgic, so full of a grudging sadness that Selim almost thought he was looking at the body of his underling instead.

"You know I can't," he said softly.

"Yes, you can," Selim insisted. "When I forced you to transmute the doctor before, he was still alive afterwards. It was an aborted transmutation, so he didn't live long, but it is conceivable—"

"Wait, what?" Mustang asked. Part of him seemed angry, but another part of him also seemed curious. He must not have liked the memory, but was jumping at the chance to get some questions answered.

"I was trying to conserve energy at the time so I aborted the transmutation early. The point had been for you to go through the gate, not to keep the doctor alive. This would be different! You can save her!"

"No, I can't."

His tone was final and left no room for argument. With those words, Selim discovered what it was like to have his hope sucked away. For a moment the numbness returned. He'd said no… He wanted to save her too, and yet he'd said no. It wasn't that he couldn't, but that he wouldn't. Why?

As if to read his thoughts, Mustang went on. "I made a vow to someone a long time ago that I would never consciously perform a human transmutation, not to save her life, not to save Parkins, not to bring Hughes back, not even to save myself."

Selim just blinked at the man for a few moments as his mind absorbed this. Then the anger returned, more raw and wild this time. It was an anger born of pain, that little part of his rational mind that still functioned realized.

"But she's right here! She's your subordinate! Didn't you want to save her?!"

Mustang's expression hardened again. "Yes. But not at the cost of my vow."

Selim had moved before he'd even registered. He'd reached out and grabbed Mustang's shirt, yanking him down so they were at an eye level. And Selim had to wonder for a moment when he'd stood up to be able to reach the other man.

"Then I'll force you to! I did it once! I can do it again!"

The warning light in the man's narrowed eyes would have once made Pride laugh. It would have scared Selim. Now the homunculus simply disregarded it as unimportant.

"At what cost to you?" Mustang snapped. "You look like you're about to collapse and between what you just said and what I heard from the hostages I spoke with, you don't have the energy to spare."

He must have spoken with Johan and his mother. Which meant they were safe.

At least _they_ were safe.

That thought caused him to deflate ever so slightly.

Mustang's next words didn't help. "I'm guessing you tried to force Parkins' gate open and her weakened body couldn't handle the strain. That's why she died, isn't it?"

"Yes," he whispered, because otherwise it made no sense. He'd managed to stop the bleeding, to mend her skin and artery. He knew he had. "I should have realized but…" And then the tears were back, stronger than before. "I hate this," he whispered tiredly. "I hate feeling like this. I don't want it. I…I never wanted to become more human. But I am. I don't even care that it might kill me to try and bring her back. I would give that up…because she gave her life for me. So few people have cared for me enough to do that." His mother had put her safety on the line a few times when he'd been Pride and when Selim had been younger. Johan had come back for him when Clemin had tried to kill him.

And that was it. In 300 years, none of the other homunculi had cared for him. His father hadn't even cared for him like that. No human had even come close.

Was that why it hurt so much? To lose Mandy?

He fell to his hands and knees, looking up at Mustang for the last time, pleading. "Please…do something. If I could do the transmutation myself, I would." He knew how to circulate the energy, he knew how to direct it; he had the mathematical knowledge, the theoretical knowledge, the biological knowledge, but not the capacity because he had no gate. He was an artificial being who…

He blinked in confusion as a blue light caught his eye. The circle was glowing. He stared hard at the lines that had changed to a bright blue under his hands, but it didn't fade. It wasn't his imagination.

Shocked, he turned back to Mustang, but the man's expression of extreme confusion and worry had returned. He was standing several inches outside of the circle and seemed to be rooted to the ground in shock. No, he hadn't started the transmutation. Then…who?

And then everything went white.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *I figured if Selim/Pride had absorbed the Gold-Toothed Doctor's memories, then he would know the man's name, so I made one up.
> 
> You guys REALLY need to thank my AMAZING beta reader Shade40. No joke. I had something written for this chapter and then she pointed out just how many plotholes it had in it and I had to redo it. please, thank them!


	28. Chatper 28

White everywhere. An endless expanse of absolute nothing but light (and he wasn't even positive of that) in every direction. Selim blinked in confusion. This was Truth's realm. He was sure of it. So, what had just happened? Why was he here if someone had activated Mandy's transmutation? Or had they used the transmutation on him? But why would anyone do that? And why would that bring him here?

A soft chuckling behind him had him whirling around. He knew who he'd find, but it was still unnerving. He'd seen the being that guarded the gate before, but the instance now seemed different somehow. He found almost exactly what he'd expected behind him. Truth was sitting in a relaxed position before a rather small gate. Most of the being's body was turned so that it was facing neither Selim nor the gate, but his head seemed to follow Selim's movements. Despite the fact that the gatekeeper had no eyes, the homunculus couldn't help but feel as if a strong gaze continually studied him.

After a moment, he summoned his courage and stuck his chin up proudly. "Why am I here?"

"I never thought that I would meet you like this," Truth said after a moment, completely disregarding Selim's question and standing up in one fluid motion. Then he turned fully to face the homunculus with that enormous smile of his.

Selim tried not to show his confusion, he really did, but guessed he wasn't very successful with how his hands kept clenching and unclenching when he wasn't focusing on relaxing them.

"I don't understand," he finally said, unable to hide the weariness in his voice. He felt so old at that moment, every one of his three hundred and some-odd years.

"Oh, I think you do," Truth said thoughtfully, almost pointedly. Then, as Selim was watching, he turned (quite deliberately) to look at the small Gate of Truth. Taking the hint for what it was, Selim followed the other's gaze, wondering at the significance of the portal. He'd never seen one so small, but then again, he'd only ever seen Mustang's. Were most alchemist's gates this small? And where was the person who had activated the transmutation circle if this was their gate? Had he somehow hitched a ride again? And just who could have activated the circle anyway? Mandy couldn't have and the only other person anywhere near the circle hadn't been…

And then it clicked.

Selim's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open in shock. Truth must have sensed his change in demeanor because he turned back to Selim, grin wide.

"B-but that's not possible," Selim protested. "I can't have a gate! I'm not a real…human…" Or was he? Had he somehow become human? The implications were _staggering_.

They also made no sense at all whatsoever.

As if to counteract the sheer enormity of this revelation, Truth simply shrugged and calmly spoke, his words mirroring Selim's own thoughts. "You grow and age like a human now, you think like a human, feel like a human, heal like a human…"

The homunculus caught on and began to put everything together in his mind, saying it aloud just to keep it all straight and still unable to hide his shock. "When Father created me, I was modeled after humans. My normal, more human functions weren't in effect…because of the philosopher's stone and my original, human-like container." Well, that at least made some sense. He continued speaking, trying to get a whole picture in his mind.

"When Elric left me with only enough energy in my stone to survive, that body was destroyed and my true form reverted to its base, human instincts. I lived like a human for over a decade and a half. Did I begin to develop my own gate like a human, without ever meaning to?" It was the only explanation he could come up with, but it still left so many questions unanswered. Why had he begun to develop one when Wrath hadn't? And what about Greed and his second container? Was it because of their philosophers' stones? Is that what really suppressed a homunculi's otherwise human nature? If so, why? So many questions and his still reeling mind couldn't seem to come up with any answers.

Truth shrugged again (and Selim couldn't help but notice how strange a gesture it was coming from a mostly featureless being) nonchalantly. The action seemed rather inadequate in Selim's opinion.

"Your connection to the realm beyond the gate is small, marginal at best—not because of your lack of knowledge, but because you had to develop your own soul from almost nothing. Your gate is inherently different from others simply because of your origins, but it is there, and only humans have gates."

The homunculus was sure the being was teasing him somehow, but he was focusing on the new information too much to care. Something had just occurred to him; an answer to a question he thought he would never be able to solve.

"That is why Pride could never overwhelm Selim," he whispered. "Pride had the experience, but Selim had the physical and spiritual connection to the realm beyond the gate." It was why he'd had such a conflict to begin with and why one could never overpower the other.

It was funny in a rather humorless way, but Selim's original thought that he was half-human, half-homunculus was actually the most accurate, if the gatekeeper was to be believed. And he had no reason to really doubt Truth's straight-forward statements. He was, after all, the representation of Truth.

"I activated the circle," Selim realized aloud, bringing a hand to his head. He could use alchemy. Admittedly it would probably have very different connotations and a great many limitations, but the realization was still mind-blowing.

"Yes. Which brings us to why you are here," Truth pointed out.

Selim blinked at him with a blank face for a few moments before his thoughts caught up with that.

Oh.

_Oh._

He'd come for Mandy's soul; which meant he'd performed a human transmutation; which meant he would be giving up something else very dear to him in exchange.

Right.

But what? What would Truth take from him for this? He wasn't sure, and that scared him, even if he wouldn't ever admit it.

Of course, that begged the question: could he even retrieve the girl's soul? Had he come too late? Had she already passed through the gate herself? Could he retrieve her soul if she had? He was positive he could find her, somehow. He'd find a way, even if he couldn't really come up with anything at the moment.

But the Elrics and Izumi Curtis hadn't been able to retrieve their loved-one's souls. Then again, they hadn't had the information and knowledge that Selim had now. He'd have to find some way to search. Could he perhaps use his shadows in this realm?

He frowned thoughtfully at that and looked down at his feet. Somehow, even though he could not define or pin point any light source, there was indeed a shadow there. He stretched down and nudged the darkness, but nothing happened. Well, he could feel _something_ but it responded so slowly. At least that answered that question at least.

Of course, he was also assuming that Mandy's soul wasn't still here somewhere. How could he find her then?

Well, just standing around awkwardly wouldn't help him find any solutions.

It had been a long time since he hadn't been able to answer his own questions. Long ago, either due to his own experience or his acquired knowledge, he'd stopped asking questions. If, on the rare occasion, he did find something he could not reason out, he would simply research and find the answer himself. That was, after all, what he'd always done. Now he couldn't help but feel worried and unsure because he did not hold the answers, nor did he have the ability to really find them on his own. He didn't much care for the returning uncertainness that came with the realization of what he didn't know.

"Where is she?" he finally asked Truth, steeling himself for any answer.

Truth's grin somehow widened even further and Selim got the distinct impression that the being was looking past Selim now.

For the second time, Selim turned to follow the non-existent gaze and saw, to his great relief, a girl with short, dark, curly hair blinking and looking around in a dazed confusion.

It took a moment for her eyes to fall on him, but when they did, he saw almost as much relief in them as he'd felt just a moment before.

"Selim?" she asked as she walked up to him. Her voice seemed different, ethereal somehow. If she noticed the slight difference, she didn't show it. "Where are we?"

He couldn't help but smile ever so slightly. "The Gate of Truth," he replied.

"What?" she asked, seeming more confused than ever. "Where is that? _What_ is that?"

He found it strange that he didn't feel nearly as worried or upset as he had even a few seconds before. That probably had a lot to do with the fact that he'd succeeded in his goal of reaching her soul before it could truly pass on. He gladly took a few calm moments to think, trying to come up with a quick way to answer her question accurately. Nothing came immediately to mind. "It's difficult to explain."

"Try," she insisted, folding her arms in front of her. He wondered how she could still have that old trench-coat with all of those pockets on. Was it because she'd died in it?

He shrugged and began to explain, hoping she'd just get the gist of it. "This is a sort of alternate state of being, at least that is my hypothesis. My father figured it was a bridge between the mind and the soul and the body." He turned and glanced at his own gate again. Truth seemed completely content to just stand there, watching them amusedly as Selim went on. "It's where Alchemists go when they perform human transmutation."

Mandy's eyes went wide in shock. "Human transmutation?"

He smiled at her. "Yes."

She swallowed loudly. "Then why are we here? I mean you're not an alchemist and I don't remember…" she faded off.

Selim watched her curiously. What was the last thing she remembered? From her expression, she was having a hard time recalling it. Then she closed her eyes in concentration. It only took her a few moments before her eyes snapped open and she gasped.

"Selim! The sniper! You said they had a sniper and so I…" she faded off when he looked away, unable to meet her eyes. Even now, even feeling so grateful for it, he did not want to remember what he'd felt when she'd pushed him out of the way and been so hurt for it in his place. He didn't want to recall how she'd gone limp in death not minutes later. It still hurt.

Movement had him glancing over at her from the corner of his eye. Her hand had reached up to rub at the spot where the bullet had pierced her neck as she tried to piece her memories together.

"Selim…am I dead?"

He really couldn't look at her now. So this was guilt? Yet another new and terrible emotion to add to the pile. Why did he even feel this way? What did he have to feel guilty for? He hadn't _asked_ her to push him out of the way. He hadn't wanted her to get killed in his place. Somehow that didn't lessen the shame he now felt.

But she deserved to know, didn't she?

"Yes."

Her mouth fell open and she took a staggering step back. Selim didn't really know what to say, so he kept his own mouth shut and watched her warily. After a few moments, she dropped to her knees, seemingly unable to say anything. He'd never known her to be _that_ quiet. It bothered him. She should be talking and teasing and being her normal, annoying self. Finally he couldn't stay quiet any longer. He had to say _something_ to break the silence.

"But I came for you. I came to get you back."

She blinked up at him, gaze only slightly dull and unfocused. "What?"

"I performed the transmutation."

"But…you said—" she started to get out, but Selim cut her off.

"I didn't know. As far as I understood I didn't have the ability for it." He glanced around at the whiteness and sighed. "This place, we think it is the embodiment of the collective unconscious, or at least the area behind the gate. All human knowledge is stored here—all truth that humans as a species have come to know. The gate is a way into that and it is where Alchemists get their power from. The only reason you are here with me is because you're the reason I came here. You died even though I finished mending your body. I…accidentally activated the circle not long after that."

"You…came for me?" she asked in a small voice, sounding as if she were trying to catch up with everything he'd said and failing miserably. "But…why?"

He shook his head with a mirthless chuckle. "Because you are one of the few people I have ever known who actually care for me, and the thought of losing that…well, I didn't wish to lose it."

Mandy blinked at him as her mind digested that. Then she smiled. It was a small, thin smile, but it was real.

"Thank you."

He shrugged. "I would like to point out that none of this would have happened if you hadn't pushed me out of the way," Selim said, shooting a glare at her. There wasn't any real heat behind it though.

She just shook her head. "I wasn't about to let you get shot."

"I didn't ask you to save me," he muttered, pride a little bruised that she'd been able to put all the clues together before hand. He shouldn't have _needed_ saving, and she'd just been lucky to have gotten there when she had. Or unlucky as the case may be.

Mandy sent him a watery smile. "A simple 'thank you' would do."

But he wasn't thankful…well, he was, but he didn't like the fact that she had sacrificed herself for him. But then, if he'd been in her shoes…

"Thank you," he whispered.

"You're welcome, silly."

He smiled sadly.

"Selim," Mandy asked suddenly, her voice slightly panicked. "What's that?"

Selim looked up and saw she was looking behind him. Oh great. How did he explain Truth? Before he could answer, the being behind him did.

"I am perhaps everything and nothing. I am what you call the world or the universe, or God, or truth, or all, or one."

"Or none," Selim couldn't help but say dryly as he turned to look back at the being again. "You are merely that which is inside all humans, just as the Gate is. A hollow version of that which an Alchemist seeks."

Truth smirked.

"In the simplest nutshell," Selim told Mandy with a sigh as he turned to her again, "that is the gatekeeper. It resides inside everyone as the Gate of Truth does."

Her eyes grew confused and slightly worried.

"Where you said alchemists get their powers, right?"

Selim couldn't help but be relieved that she'd caught on. "Correct."

She pursed her lips. "I'm not sure I understand, so let me see if I have this straight: I died and you want to bring my soul back, so you performed a human transmutation to get me from this place, which is the bridge between life and death (or knowledge or whatever) before my soul can pass into…for lack of a better term, the afterlife, right?"

He found himself rather impressed. "Actually, that's pretty accurate."

They fell into silence after that, each lost in their own thoughts. After a moment, the Gatekeeper cocked its head and the door behind him opened. "It's time that you move on. You know you have little choice in what I take from you in exchange." The being said it as a fact and with almost no emotion.

"Exchange?" Mandy asked suddenly. "What do you mean 'exchange'?"

Now it was Selim's turn to send her a forced smile. "You didn't think that getting your soul would be that easy, did you?"

And suddenly, he knew what the being would take. He stiffened rigidly and clenched his hands into fists. "Not that," he said quietly over his shoulder to the gatekeeper. "I've only just realized, so not…please…"

"You knew what you would have to give up."

"No," Mandy interjected. "Not for me. I'm not worth it, whatever it is."

Selim shot a glare in her direction. "Apparently you are or Truth wouldn't ask for it."

She just stared at him, at a loss for words. After a moment, Selim closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he opened them, glanced at Mandy, and sighed. "I knew what I would have to do. I will take responsibility for my decision."

"Well then, you know what to do," the gatekeeper said, thumbing towards the open gate.

"Yes," the homunculus said. Then, before he could change his mind, he took a step forward, beginning his seemingly endless stride towards the portal. Probably as confused as ever, Mandy followed. They had almost reached the gate when the small, black hands streamed through it. Behind him, Mandy gasped, but she couldn't avoid them anymore than he could.

And that brought a new thought. She would be going through the gate. Would she be able to perform circle-less transmutations now? Would she lose something too? He almost turned back to Truth to ask, but the hands that wrapped around him prevented him from doing so. He didn't like the restriction and wondered for a few vague moments if this was what it felt like for others to be wrapped in his shadows.

Then he steeled himself as the gate, just barely big enough for them to fit through, opened fully and he and Mandy were dragged inside.

xXx

Wakefulness came slowly to Mandy, and it didn't come easily. She felt as if her consciousness was swimming through molasses. Once she did open her eyes, she had to wonder why the room seemed familiar. Had she, perhaps, woken before this? She didn't remember and her muddled mind refused to allow for anything clearer, so she finally dismissed the realization from her mind and looked around.

It was a white hospital room, very bare and rather empty. The lights had been dimmed and so it didn't quite hurt her eyes to look, but she didn't see anyone or anything of interest. She couldn't even seem to remember why she was here to begin with. And she was thirsty too. _Really_ thirsty.

Still, this wasn't the first time she'd been in a hospital room (she'd had more than her share of accidents with alchemy alone, and that didn't take her rather forward nature into account), and she knew her way around more or less. So, with floppy movements that still screamed 'tired', she felt around for the little button that would call a nurse. It took her all too long to find it, and when she did she could barely find the strength to push the button.

By the time the nurse answered her call, she was already out again.

xXx

The second time Mandy woke, conscious came much more easily. She managed to open her eyes and look around tiredly. Finding the button to call a nurse again, she pushed it and waited for someone to show up. It took a few minutes for the nurse on duty to appear, and to her surprise, she brought someone else with her.

"Sir!" Mandy said, trying to sit up as Major General Roy Mustang walked into the room, his lieutenant trailing behind him.

"Don't even think about moving," her superior said sternly, causing her to cease her struggles. Then his expression softened. "It's good to see you doing well, Parkins. I'm glad you managed to wake up while I was here."

She nodded and forced a watery smile through the musty confusion in her head. "Thank you, Sir. How long have I been out?" Her attention turned briefly to the nurse, who had read her mind and poured her a glass of water. The woman also handed her a small cup with a few pills in it.

Sighing, Mandy took the pills and the water and downed them as she waited for the General to answer her.

"Almost a week," he responded, shaking his head. "Apparently that can happen when someone gets as injured as you were."

And then it started to come back and Mandy put a hand to her throat. She felt nothing but smooth skin under her fingertips. The gesture reminded her of something…

"Oh my…" she gasped and her body tensed. Then she looked back at the General. "I was dead, wasn't I?"

The man's grim expression told her everything she needed to know.

"Then why am I…wait, Selim!" she couldn't help but look up worriedly at her superior. "He saved me, sir! He said something about getting to me before I went through the gate!"

Mustang nodded in confirmation. "Yes. His actions saved your life."

"Where is he, sir?" she asked, trying not to sound pleading. The General sighed and put a hand to the bridge of his nose.

"He's in a coma."

"Sir!" Hawkeye said reprovingly as Mandy felt a cold numbness wash over her.

"W-what?" she choked out.

Mustang set his firm, intense gaze on her, milky eyes watching her closely. "I'm not going to lie to you, Major. He has been unconscious for as long as you have. Unlike you, we have no idea when or even if he'll regain consciousness."

Mandy didn't know exactly what to think of that, but she knew she didn't like it. Selim had done so much for her—had risked who knew what to save her and now…

"It's my fault, isn't it," she realized, speaking aloud but mainly to herself. "He's like that because he was trying to save me."

"No," came the firm reply. Mandy looked back at those strange eyes as Mustang continued to speak. "Pride—Selim," he amended quickly, "made his own choice. It is his own fault, not yours. If anything, blame Clemin for starting this whole thing."

She wasn't quite sure she believed that, but she did appreciate the sentiment.

"Where is he now?" she asked softly, looking down at her clenched hands and forcing them to relax.

Mustang seemed to know what she was thinking. "In a room on a more secure floor of the hospital."

Mandy frowned and remembered how he had been imprisoned before. Somehow, she really didn't want that for him right now, and if no one else would fight for him…

"Is there light in the room?" she asked, still not looking up.

"Yes," Mustang responded, sounding puzzled. Mandy felt relief wash over her. "Why do you ask?" the General inquired.

The younger alchemist sighed and glanced over at him. "He hates the dark, you know. I know it's the only way to really control him, but…he's scared of it. Has a terrible phobia. I don't care if he's different from what I remember. I didn't want him to wake up like that."

To her surprise, the General chuckled. "Don't worry, Parkins. You don't have to convince me that he's changed. He did that himself."

She looked between him and Hawkeye, as if to double check and make sure that he was, in fact, speaking the truth. "How?"

The General shook his head, a wry smile on his face as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "He begged me to bring you back before he realized he could somehow do alchemy as well. Quite literally, I might add."

Mandy felt her own eyes widen in shock. "He…what?"

Mustang understood her own incredulity because he had a trace of that showing on his own face.

"I know. It really convinced me as to how different he really is. I can't in good conscience dismiss him as a potential threat, but I can and will fight to give him another chance."

The dark-haired girl felt a smile come to her own lips. "Thank you, sir," she whispered quietly.

"You're welcome," Mustang said with a wave of his hand. "Now I expect a full report when you're well enough. Until then, your father will arrive tomorrow."

The smile vanished from her face. "Alone?" she asked.

His puzzled expression returned. "I believe so, why?"

She relaxed ever so slightly. "No reason."

He hummed in response to that, looking her up and down suspiciously before seeming to shrug it off.

"Anyway, you get more rest. We'll discuss more later, when you're up to it."

"Yes, sir," she said, stifling a yawn. "Thank you, sir."

"Goodnight, Parkins," Mustang said with a wave before turning and striding out of her room. She watched him go for several seconds before her thoughts returned to Selim with a sad frown.

 _Please be alright, Selim,_ she thought to herself. _I saved you because you're my friend and I want you to live. Don't you dare die on me now._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Here's the second to last chapter. I'm...kind of in shock. This will be the first fic I've finished that isn't a one-shot that I don't plan on writing a sequel to...I don't do endings very well. As such, I'm immensely proud (*cough* pun intended) of myself and incredibly thankful to everyone reading this. I really can't say it enough.
> 
> Oh, and thanks to Shade40 yet again! She's amazing!


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys have NO idea how much trouble this last part gave me. I rewrote it...well, scrapped it completely about four times and rewrote it a good dozen more. Between that and school, well...
> 
> You all can thank Shade40 for staying on my back and continuing to poke me. They're a LOT of the reason why this is up at all.
> 
> Now, I said there was only one more chapter...but then I realized how long it was. Really, REALLY long. So now it's three chapters and an epilogue. I'll post them all pretty soon here. ^^; And by soon, I mean within the week.

It was too still, this empty space. Somehow it should have been more chaotic and wild…but it wasn't. Now there was nothing except for a vague form of something that wasn't quite a consciousness. The concept of time meant nothing here, and even if it had, the not-consciousness wouldn't have had the presence of mind to recognize it.

The nothingness was unnatural but so calm too. Here, the very ideas of responsibility or pressure or even boredom didn't exist. Despite this, something inside the not-consciousness fought a battle—a battle that would never advance to anything more than a standstill, but one that its instinct drove it to fight nonetheless—to regain something it had lost. The instinct gained no ground in its struggle, although it also lost nothing, but it was a fight that it could not win. Somehow, though, it knew that giving up would mean a cessation to exist at all, and so it fought, and fought, and fought. It could not possibly understand how long it struggled for. It only knew that giving up was not an option.

The expectation of regaining itself had long since died when the oppressiveness that had settled over everything suddenly dissipated, without explanation or warning, and he knew who he was once again. It felt as if he could breathe after being trapped in an airless space, and the relief it brought made him feel as if he could finally relax. After fighting for what felt simultaneously like forever and a few moments, he felt he could stop struggling and rest.

And so he did.

xXx

His ears began to work first. The beeping of a monitor; the sound of wind blowing against a window; the click of footsteps; a soft, even breathing that was not his own; he heard all of this and had to wonder just why and how because his mind didn't seem to want to work.

He found it difficult to even open his eyes. His eyelids felt like lead weights and it was difficult enough to even think about trying. Still, he felt no real need to rush, and so he slowly allowed his body to get used to the idea of consciousness.

When he could finally crack his eyelids, he managed to blink away the blurry image that met his gaze. The room around him was small, clean and dark, but not as dark as he'd expected for some reason. Light streamed through the open doorway and landed on a figure slumped over the side of the bed he lay on. She was a familiar figure and he immediately allowed any fear and confusion to vanish.

"Mom," he croaked, his mouth dry and swollen. His word wasn't more than a harsh whisper, but it was enough to startle her awake. She glanced around in a sleep-induced haze for a moment before her eyes landed on him and cleared.

"Selim?" she asked almost as if she didn't dare believe what she saw.

"Mom," he repeated, his voice breaking from disuse, but he didn't care. It took everything inside of him to get that out and he could already feel his energy draining.

Apparently she did care about the state of his voice because she rushed for a side table and fumbled with something for a moment. Then something hard was pressed to his lips. He couldn't see it…when had he closed his eyes?

The coolness that passed into his mouth after that was a God-send. He gulped the water down greedily and then sighed in contentment after the cup had been removed. He could hear his mother saying something, but he couldn't seem to make her words out. Still, knowing she hadn't left him, that she was still there and that she still cared for him, lifted a weight from his chest. He felt consciousness slip from him, but the small smile never fell from his lips.

xXx

"So this is where you live," Mr. Parkins said as he scoped Mandy's one-room apartment with distaste. Mandy watched him for a few moments, noting how out-of-place he looked in his expensive suit and immaculately trimmed hair and beard. The salt-and-pepper in his hair gave him a sense of wisdom without really adding onto the age.

In contrast, the flat she'd managed to procure for herself had been built several decades before, and while it had been clean when she'd left, a thick layer of dust had settled over everything, enhancing the worn feeling the room gave off.

She couldn't help but roll her eyes at him—and at herself for even making the observation—as she put her things on her bed.

"It's clean and it's all I need," she responded.

"And it's yours," he added on, tone suddenly quiet and sad.

She couldn't deny it. "Yes."

"Then perhaps it is a good thing I didn't bring Lucy."

Mandy couldn't help her countenance from darkening. "It is. She is _not_ welcome here. Not that her heart would break over hearing that."

Her father sighed. "I wish you two would get along."

"It's a two-sided boat, dad. She's the one that wanted nothing to do with me."

Mr. Parkins frowned. "That isn't true."

"Really? Then why did she make my life a living—"

"Mandy," he interrupted her warningly.

"She did! Between the suitors and the hints that she didn't want a remnant of her husband's old marriage hanging around and adding baggage to the family name—" she cut herself off angrily, not wanting to say something she would regret later.

Her father shook his head. "The suitors were my idea, Mandy."

She waved her hand through the air dismissively. "I know you had a lot to do with picking just who would come and what not, but—"

"No," he said, his voice quiet but firm. "It was _all_ my idea. I knew you'd hate it and so I kept doing it to motivate you."

Mandy could only stare at him with an open mouth as her mind tried to wrap around that. "What?" she finally managed to ask.

He shook his head grimly and folded his arms. "I knew you could go places, but I could have too if I would have had the motivation. It is why I taught you Alchemy. I knew you'd want to build your own future, not stay trapped in my legacy. I wanted that for you. It's what your mother would have wanted for you. So I gave you motivation."

Mandy closed her mouth with a snap and just stared at her father for several seconds. She'd always assumed that her step-mother hadn't wanted her there. They'd gotten into fights over the very subject more than once, and the woman had never denied it. But this...

Part of her felt as if she'd been severely betrayed, but part of her immediately understood that he was trying to give her the escape he'd always wanted. An escape from the life of someone who always had to keep up appearances—who had to at least _look_ perfect because that was and would always be expected of him.

Apparently, it was a life neither of them wanted.

"Dad," she said after a while, "you didn't need to do that. I would have eventually left on my own." And yet, even as she said it, she still couldn't bring herself to be completely sure she wouldn't have grown complacent in the lifestyle she'd had. She hoped that didn't show in her voice.

Apparently it did. "Would you?"

She refrained from answering.

"In any case," he continued after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, "please stop blaming your step-mother. I know you two don't get along, but can't you at least try to stop hating each other?"

She didn't like the idea. At all. And yet, now that she knew that a good deal of her resentment had been misplaced...And wouldn't it be nice to have a home to go to? A _real_ home, not some small corner of some small apartment building that would always remain empty. Besides, she almost lost the chance to make amends, and that would have broken her father's heart all over again. Amazing what a near death experience can do to a person.

"Fine, dad," she said as she sat down on the bed. Her legs felt weak and her stomach a little queasy. That didn't stop her from finishing the thought. "I'll try if she will."

Her father looked like Christmas had come early. It had been a long time since she'd seen that look of pride and relief on his face. "Thank you, honey," he said as he walked over and kissed her on the forehead.

"Now, let me at least treat you to dinner before I leave."

She smiled.

"Thanks, dad."

xXx

Awareness came more easily the second time, and he felt stronger, more solid and surer of his ability to remain awake. He slowly blinked his eyes open and saw his mother sitting in the same room, now much brighter, reading a book.

At first he didn't know what to say and just wanted to take the sight of her sitting there in. He was older than her, had memories that went back to centuries before she was born, so why did he still consider her his mother? It made no sense, but he wasn't upset about the realization.

Then he had to ask himself why she was here. Surely she knew…

"I'm surprised the room isn't completely devoid of light," he commented, yet again making her jump.

"Selim!" she breathed, then put a hand over her chest as if to steady her heart. "Don't do that!" she scolded.

He couldn't help but smile at that. She had to know about him and yet she was treating him as she always had. Then his eyes wandered back to that white ceiling and he couldn't help but wonder just how the situation would work out now. His mother hadn't ever really known him as Pride…not really. Hoping they could continue on as if nothing had happened was a fool's dream. Selim may have been many things, but a fool was not one of them.

"Why?" he asked.

She seemed confused. "Why what?"

"The military has to know where I am. Why did they allow me to be placed in a normal room such as this? Why not a darkened cell that would counteract my shadows?"

To her credit, the only sign of her discomfort at his question was the slight furrowing of her brow. Still he didn't regret his question. He wasn't the boy he'd been and the sooner she realized that, the better.

She didn't answer for a few seconds, but he awaited her answer patiently. He could practically hear her thoughts grinding away.

"I talked them out of it," she answered finally, her voice quiet but firm. "I'm surprised at how easily they gave in. I thought Roy of all people…" she faded off, obviously not wanting to finish that thought. Then she cleared her throat and he saw her turn a contemplative gaze to him out of the corner of his eye. "You must have made quite the impression on him."

He couldn't help the embarrassment that rose to his cheeks as his mind recalled the memories of what had happened—of how he'd practically broken down in front of Roy stinking Mustang of all people.

"I see," he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

A heavy silence fell over the room at that, both of them unsure of what to say.

After a moment, Selim decided to break the heaviness. "How long have I been here?"

His mother jumped at the chance to answer him. Apparently she'd found the silence uncomfortable as well. "Here specifically? Six days, but I had you moved from the New Optain branch where you'd been unconscious for more than a month.

"A month?" he asked incredulously. It was a shock. He'd been expecting a few days at the most. But then, if they'd kept him in New Optain, that only made sense, what with the price he'd paid to Truth.

He steered his mind away from that unpleasant train of thought and looked for another. Thankfully, he found one sufficiently distracting almost immediately.

"Mandy," he blurted out before his mother could really say anything else. "How is she?"

Mrs. Bradley blinked at the sudden change of subject but didn't seem to question it. Actually, she smiled and seemed to relax.

"The dark-haired girl?" she asked. "She made a full recovery. Actually, I'm expecting her to stop by pretty soon here, in about an hour or so."

Selim closed his eyes, a weight lifting from his shoulders.

"From what I understand," the woman continued softly, "you gave up a lot to save her life. Selim, I'm so proud of you."

At first he wanted to beam at her pronouncement. Then he put it into perspective and had to scoff dryly. "Because you didn't think I would ever do something like that."

Again she took a while to answer as the smile faded from her lips. "No," she replied honestly. "Not from what I'd been told."

He'd been expecting that, but it still stung. It didn't hurt as much as he'd thought it would though, for one reason.

"I'm not him."

Again his mother blinked at him blankly. "What? Not whom?"

"I'm not Pride anymore. I won't always act as he did. Conversely," he turned his head and met her gaze as directly as he could, "I'm not your Selim either. You need to realize that."

The frown that crossed her face surprised him. It was one he recognized, a firm set of her mouth that broadcasted that there would be no arguing with her.

"Don't you _ever_ say that again! You are now and always will be my Selim, no matter how much you change." Then her voice softened. "You will _always_ be my son."

He could only stare at her for several moments in wonder. He had not expected that.

"Why?" he finally found the presence to ask.

She smiled warmly. "Because that's what mothers do."

And she wasn't lying. He could tell by that solid gleam in her eye.

"Even if I'm a murderer and a monster?" he asked, still incredulous.

This time her frown looked reproachful. "Monsters don't risk everything for their friends."

And he couldn't really contest that.

"I'll never be the same," he said quietly. "You have to understand that," because he meant it in more ways than one, and all of them were completely true.

She seemed to catch the subtext.

"Then I'll just have to get to know the new you…once you're feeling up to it, of course."

Now that she did mention it, he did still feel a bit lethargic. But there was something else he still had to say to her.

"I, um, don't know if you'll understand how difficult this is for me to say, but…" he took a deep breath. This had to be said. "I am so sorry. I worried you, I ran off without consulting you, I…was afraid you would reject me once I started to regain my memories." He paused only for the barest moment to take another breath before continuing on. "I see now that I was wrong, and so I am sorry for not trusting you when I should have."

He sat there in silence, looking down at his hands, clenched together on the bed sheet as he waited for her to say something. Finally he heard her sigh.

"I can't say that I'm not upset or hurt by that," she said softly and he felt his hands tighten even more. Hurting her…that felt worse than anything else he'd ever done. "But it's not exactly unreasonable for you to think that either. Perhaps if I'd been more honest…but what's done is done."

He looked up at her and saw her shake her head in resignation before she met his gaze. "As long as I have your promise that you _won't_ just go running off like that again, then we can consider this water under the bridge, ok?"

Somehow he couldn't really bring himself to explain why he couldn't ever do that again and so he just smiled at her and nodded.

"I promise."

They discussed several things that Selim felt he needed to catch up on after that. He asked her about Bonnie and Marlin and was surprised when she informed him that they came by to check on him too. Apparently they'd decided to stay in Central after all and start some sort of business. Selim suspected that there would be more to it than that, but it was nice to know that they hadn't been arrested but honored for their part in rescuing the hostages from the hotel.

Most of the members of the FFO that had been captured had been tried and their sentences ranged from a year of community service to a decade in prison. As far as his mother knew, though, Janet and her brother weren't among them. He wasn't sure that was a good thing. Those two still had a lot of hatred for the government.

He was about to ask about Johan when a bubbly, excited voice cut him off.

"Selim! You're awake!"

Despite the grim mood that had been present before her rather loud entrance, he couldn't help but shake his head and smile as he turned to face the doorway. She bounded towards him, curly hair bouncing and eyes sparkling in happiness. It was good to see her acting so normally, not lifeless and limp on the floor.

"Hey, Mandy," he said.

"You're looking a lot better," she grinned, leaning on the railing of the bed, not seeming to care that she had invaded his personal space. Again. Normally he would have rolled his eyes at her and told her to go sit down, but at that point he was just glad she was there.

"So are you."

She seemed to withdraw a little at that, although not out of discomfort. If anything, she seemed sad. "Yeah. I…can't thank you enough." She looked up at him, eyes earnest. "I wouldn't be here without you."

He didn't like that expression on her. Had she lost something too? "What do you remember?" he asked slowly.

She bit her lip and looked away. "I don't remember much, just a big white space and I think there was a door of some kind, but not much else. General Mustang said I was lucky to have those."

"Ah, yes," Selim muttered and slumped back against the pillows he'd propped up, unhappy at the turn of the conversation. "How is the good General?"

She shrugged either ignoring or not catching his sarcastic tone. "Ask him yourself. He'll be here to check up on you soon."

Selim couldn't help but hunker down into his blankets grumpily. "What joyful news."

Mandy rolled her eyes at him and punched his arm. "It's not going to be that bad. Lighten up."

"You forget. I tried to kill the man…on multiple occasions."

She shrugged. "Yeah. He'll get over it if you will. He seems to be that kind of guy."

"How on earth would you know?" Selim shot back.

Mandy was about to answer but a giggle from Mrs. Bradley stopped them both. They turned to look at her as she watched them, her shoulders shaking.

"Mom?" he asked slowly, not understanding what she could possibly be laughing at.

"I didn't know you two were such good friends!" she said after a moment, eyes twinkling.

Selim couldn't help but roll his eyes at that. "Please, Mom. Do you think that I would risk my life and give up my freedom for some random stranger?"

Both women seemed to freeze at that and then they turned to stare at him. He went over the words he'd just spoken (so Selim of him to do so) and wanted to slap his forehead.

"Give up what?" Mandy asked, voice tiny and breathless.

Selim sighed and shook his head. "Equivalent exchange. I had to give up something to get your soul back. My father originally needed a container to survive. To rid himself of that limitation he passed it on to me. When he died, my need for that container vanished with him. That is why I could travel to Xing." He turned to look out the window, unable to hide the wistfulness or sadness in his voice. "That is what The Gatekeeper took from me—my freedom and ability to move around outside of a contained section. It is why I couldn't wake up in New Optain."

The room remained silent and he could practically feel the horror and shock radiating from the two women.

"Oh, Selim," he heard his mother say.

"Why?" Mandy asked, her own voice strained. She looked pale and horrified.

The homunculus shook his head. "I don't regret it. I don't have many who I can truly call a 'friend', and for the first time in my existence, I can understand why so many people can unselfishly give of themselves to help or save another. That is something worth far more than what was taken from me."

He saw the tears in Mandy's eyes first and braced himself, inwardly already wincing. Surely enough, in the next moment, she rushed forward and threw her arms around him.

"I'm so sorry, Selim! I'll make it up to you! I swear! I…I don't know how, but I'll find a way! I promise!"

Selim sighed and resigned himself to this…unfortunate (and all too close) situation for the next several minutes. After all, it was better than the alternative.

xXx

Mustang came by not long after Mandy left, just as she'd said he would.

"So," a deep voice at the door drew both his and his mother's attention. He stood there casually, leaning against the door frame as if he didn't have a care in the world. Selim wasn't sure whether he should be relieved or offended that he didn't have his gloves out or an armed escort with him. Selim could see that he was still armed himself, and there was a small bulge in his pocket that had to be his gloves, so he wasn't completely helpless, but still.

He scowled and then sighed and looked back at the book he'd been reading a few moments before. "What do you want?"

"Is that the way to greet the person in charge of your parole?"

Oh, Selim did _not_ like the sound of that.

"Parole?" he asked warily, "I haven't even been imprisoned."

"Precisely," Mustang said with a nonchalant shrug. "I talked the Fuehrer out of it."

This was only getting worse. Selim put down his book and gazed intently at the man standing before him. "Why would you do that?"

At that, the dark-haired man cocked his head to the side in contemplation. "Because," he finally responded, "you've changed. For the better, I must say. It was a nightmare convincing her of that, though."

And now Selim could only stare openly at him, surprise undoubtedly plain on his face.

"B-but, I almost killed you," he blurted.

"Right after you got all of your memories back. Mandy pointed out that you weren't exactly yourself, and you had a pretty good reason." But he still didn't like it. Selim could read that from the slight frown, which kind of made everything he was saying even more incredulous.

He couldn't really find anything to say, so he just continued to stare.

Finally, his mother spoke up. "Thank you, Roy, for everything you did for us."

The smile he shot her was nothing if not genuine. "You're welcome, ma'am."

She rolled her eyes. "I've told you before, call me Mary."

"Of course, Ma'am," he said, a mischievous sparkle in his eye. Then he sobered and looked back at a still troubled Selim. "I'm actually here to discuss terms and conditions. I've gone over these with the Fuehrer, and I doubt there will be many concessions in and above this, but I did what I could."

And Selim _still_ didn't comprehend why.

"I don't understand," he said quietly, hands clenching at his blanket. "You hated me. You still don't trust me. Why are you doing this for me?"

Mustang must have seen that Selim wouldn't drop it because he sighed. "Because I owe your mom one. That…and you saved my subordinate. I don't know what you gave up…" he paused, waiting for Selim to say something, but he didn't so the General continued, "but you did it and you got her back. That counts for a lot in my book."

"Not enough to erase everything, though," Selim muttered.

The man shrugged. "It's a good start.

"So," he grabbed a folding chair that had been leaning against the wall. "First of all, you will work for the government. This is non-negotiable."

Selim snorted. "You want to keep an eye on me that badly?"

"Do you blame us?"

No, he really didn't, as much as he hated to admit it. "Fine, then. I join the military. As long as I don't have to kill or torture anyone, that's fine."

That seemed to take Mustang by surprise. He looked somewhat torn for a few moments but finally nodded, made a note and continued.

"Madam Fuehrer has put you in my team," he said sounding about as pleased as Selim felt, which is to say not at all. "Other than that, you may move about the city as you wish so long as you remain under supervision. There won't be many warnings."

"Don't lose my tails, got it," he muttered and waved for the General to continue.

"Any change in routine or situation will need to be reported, preferably beforehand, to me personally.

"Also, any sort of lawbreaking will be met with an extremely severe punishment. And that's it."

Yet again, the man had surprised him. "What?" he asked. "Just an escort and a change of profession and that's it?" He'd been expecting a lot more than that. Some type of imprisonment at night or little to no leeway in his daily routine. To say he was getting off easy for his crimes…well, understatement didn't begin to cover it. He wasn't exactly pleased with the restrictions he did have, but he ended up with far more freedom than he'd originally counted on, and that meant so much more to him now.

However, there was one thing he felt would need to change.

"I'd like to finish school," he finally said.

Mustang raised an eyebrow and sat back in his chair. "Why? You already know everything they teach there. You have what, 300 years of knowledge?"

"As a homunculus." Not as a human. He would need more preparation before he interacted with people on a more professional level. He was certain of this.

Mustang continued to watch him for a few seconds before he nodded his head. "I see your point. I'll discuss it with the Fuehrer. Is there anything else you would like me to take to her?"

He thought about it but eventually shook his head. "Just thank her for considering it."

The General studied him intently for a few more seconds before he nodded and rose. Then, cordially, he bowed to Selim's mom and then, to the homunculus' surprise, to him as well.

Selim wasn't sure what to make of the man's change of attitude towards him and could only watch in confusion as he walked out the door, leaving the two of them alone.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the second of the chapters I've posted today. Make sure you've read the previous one before this one, please.

After Mustang left, Selim managed to convince his mother to go home and rest. Once she did, he proceeded to sleep deeply himself.

Truthfully, that was probably why he woke up so early and why he felt so much better than he had before. Thankfully his body had healed already, probably before he'd even returned to Central. He knew the hospital was just keeping him there by order of the military and that they would probably release him soon. That release couldn't come quickly enough.

He wasn't sure whether he should be pleased that no one else had come into the room while he slept or not. His mother would not have been an unwelcome sight, but the solitary feeling of the otherwise empty room had an appeal all its own. After all, he hadn't really been alone since Risembool, and he really did need some time to gather his thoughts.

The guards Mustang had posted outside the room would undoubtedly still be there, but he had his space. Of course, the moment anything happened someone would come running, and really, if he thought about it, he was almost as much of a prisoner here as he'd been under his father. Suddenly the room that had seemed so large and empty before became stifling, and he wanted nothing more than to leave.

He wanted—needed—one final taste of freedom (real freedom) before he began this new phase of his life under the military. He had no difficulty in using his shadows to turn off the machines slowly, one by one. Either the guards were distracted or not very good because they didn't come in. Thankfully.

Two hours later, Roy Mustang, a small entourage of his lackeys, and one Edward Elric came to escort Selim Baker (aka Bradley) to the Baker residence. They found an empty room.

xXx

If, one month before, Edward had been in the same position that he found himself in now, he knew he would have been frantic, rushed and more-or-less freaking out. Now he found that he felt no need to hurry. After what the stuck-up Fuehrer-wannabe had said, though, the difference was understandable. He'd ditched the military not long after they'd started searching. They could conduct their rigid scans, but he had a few places in mind that he wanted to search himself.

The first area, a memorial park he and Al had passed by fairly often when they'd lived in Central, yielded no fruit, and so he continued onto the next area. Three or four tries later, he struck gold when he found a certain homunculus sitting on a hill overlooking one of the aqua ducts that flowed through the capitol city.

At first he didn't know what to do. Just walking up and demanding for Selim to follow him didn't really seem right, so he finally shrugged and took a lazy stroll up to the figure, studying him from behind as he did so.

He looked like any normal teenager should have, just a kid with no real worries out enjoying the warm, spring weather. He even had a jacket and a pair of baggy pants on and Ed was pretty sure he didn't want to know where the boy had gotten them.

Selim didn't so much as twitch as Ed walked up to him, and he was sure he had the drop on the boy until he spoke.

"It figures that you would be the one to find me," Selim muttered grumpily. His wariness peaked and he glanced at the local shadows suspiciously. One of them had to be facing this direction. When nothing obvious revealed itself, he decided to ignore it for now and instead, sat down next to the smaller figure. They both gazed out at the calm day, reveling in the slight breeze that smelled faintly of soot and grass. Central would never be home to Edward Elric, but it had a charm all its own.

"Well," Ed said as nonchalantly as he could in reply, "someone had to."

The homunculus scoffed. "I'll bet they're frantic trying to find me."

"Not really," Ed responded with a small, wry smile.

Selim turned and eyed the taller man skeptically.

"Promise," Ed said, smile turning mischievous. "They are out looking for you, but they're not in any real hurry. That's why I wanted to find you first. Had to wonder what would make General Stick-Up-His-Butt not hate you anymore."

Selim scoffed again. "Oh, he still hates me, I have no doubt. He's just not afraid of me anymore."

Edward turned and studied his reluctant companion with a raised eyebrow. "Guess that just shows how much of an idiot he still is. From what I hear, you've just learned how to use alchemy, you can still use those freaky shadows and you can still eat the country out of house and home. Why wouldn't he be afraid of you if you just got more powerful?"

For several seconds Selim didn't answer. When he did his voice was so low Edward almost couldn't hear him. "Because I lost any freedom to really use any of my powers. He suspects it at least if he hasn't heard it from Mandy. That is why he no longer fears me."

Edward had heard it that morning from Mustang, who had apparently heard it from the girl—Mandy apparently—that Selim had supposedly saved (although Ed still wasn't a hundred percent sure he believed that story).

"What do you mean?" he asked anyway, wanting to hear the homunculus' side of the tale.

The boy sighed. "I don't know why I'm telling one of my worst enemies this," he paused and glanced over at Ed with a strange, almost expectant expression, "except that I think maybe you of all people can understand." With that he turned to gaze at the aqueduct again, bringing his knees up to his chest and resting his elbows on them.

"I have a container again. My freedom is what I had to give up to get Mandy's soul back. That water down there is one of my barriers. I can go no further without risking severe harm to myself. I will never be able to leave Central again."

Hearing Selim Bradley of all people say that was a bit of a shock, but the boy was right in the fact that Ed did understand to an extent. He knew homunculi and he knew what it was like to have the gate take something from him. He was grateful he had a heads up though.

"Oh," he managed to say, hoping it sounded sincere. "That's…surprising."

"You knew," Selim muttered. "Thank you General Blabbermouth." The sentence was so strange coming from him that Edward had to blink at him for several seconds, as if to make sure he was really there, before he burst out laughing.

Selim, shocked, turned to face him. "What?"

"That's a good one," Ed said breathlessly. "Although I have a billion others if you want to use them."

"What?"

The former alchemist waved his hand through the air dismissively. "Names that fit our 'Esteemed General'. You forget, I had to work under that jerk too. We weren't exactly the best of friends, you know."

Selim smirked ever so slightly. "Yes, I know. I may have to take you up on that offer at some point."

They fell into a surprisingly comfortable silence after that, each content to mull over their own thoughts.

"You're right," Edward finally said. At Selim's inquisitive look he continued. "I do understand your situation. Huh, never thought I'd say that to you. Who would have ever thought that we'd have something in common?"

Selim's expression turned dry. "You mean other than the fact that our fathers look identical, that my father got his looks and body from your father and you are probably my closest living relative?"

Edward shot him an unimpressed glare. "You know what I meant."

Surprisingly enough, that made Selim smile ever so slightly. Ed couldn't help the surprise that bubbled up in his throat. The smile wasn't cruel or angry or malicious at all. Truthfully, it seemed more sad than anything else.

"So," the former alchemist said, his voice a little more tentative. "What made you decide to give that up for a human?"

The homunculus seemed to draw in on himself, hunching into his jacket as if it would protect him.

"I don't want to talk about it."

It was Edward's turn to scoff. "Yeah, right. You wouldn't have said anything aloud in that case. Your pride wouldn't let you."

Apparently, the boy didn't appreciate the pun because he scowled. However, he must have also recognized the truth in the comment because he answered.

"I became weak," he said. "Once you drained my philosopher's stone of all its souls, I reverted back to my original form's basic functions. Because of this, I started to develop a gate. According to Truth, only humans can have gates…which makes absolutely no sense because the Earth had a gate as well, but then that gate may have been inherently different than anything you or I could ever comprehend, if only because of scale."

The scientist inside of Edward was fascinated.

"So," he said, unable to keep that note of wonder out of his voice, "you started to develop a human soul?"

"Something like that," Selim muttered.

Ed continued, unable to stop himself. "How did this come about? How did it manifest? Did you begin to gain more emotions? A conscience? Compassion?"

Selim's face continued to grow darker as Ed spoke.

"I knew this was a bad idea," he grumbled.

Edward studied him intently for several seconds. "So that's why you couldn't kill Mustang on the train, isn't it. It's why when we cornered you in Risembool you didn't kill those two bounty hunters you were running around with, and I'm guessing it's why you decided to go to that hotel they found you in, isn't it? Someone you cared for was there, weren't they?"

"Yes!" Selim yelled angrily. "I could rationalize my way out of it at the time, but..." he suddenly seemed to deflate. "I suspect you're right. I just wasn't being honest with myself. Not fully."

With that, he dropped his head onto the arms he'd rested across his knees in defeat. "It still hurts to admit, but even still…I want to be alright with that, with who I am. I don't want to have to lie to myself anymore. I think…that my pride may have been just as much of a prison as Father's word was."

Ed wasn't sure what shocked him more, the fact that Selim was acting so...un-Pride like, or that the homunculus could even admit his thoughts and conclusions at all, let alone to someone he wasn't exactly friends with.

And wasn't that the strangest thing? Edward was having a calm, philosophical discussion with a three hundred year old artificial being, and not just any being, but one he had considered one of his greatest enemies. He didn't sound or look like anything remotely dangerous now, though. Truthfully he looked…well, like a fifteen year old boy who had just had his world ripped away from him.

The former alchemist sat there dumbly for a moment, unsure of what to do. He'd never been the best person to turn to for comfort, and yet he couldn't not say anything.

"Do you regret it?"

Selim turned to look at him questioningly. "Regret what?"

"Saving that girl."

And the homunculus, for all intents and purposes, looked as if he were honestly thinking about the question.

"I told her I didn't," he finally said. "And part of me doesn't...but part of me... I don't think I'll ever be rid of either side, and I'm not sure I want to, but this struggle is _exhausting_."

And Ed couldn't help but laugh at that too. "That, my dear cousin, is what being a human is all about."

The homunculus actually jumped at Ed's words. "C-cousin?!"

Ed shrugged. "Close enough."

"And what brought this on?" Selim asked suspiciously.

Again, Ed shrugged. "Don't really have a reason except that you sound like you need all the support you can get."

"Why would you do that? I don't understand! Humans are so illogical!" the dark-haired boy actually wailed.

"You said so yourself, I'm probably your closest living relative. Besides, it will give me an excuse to keep an eye on you."

Ed saw Selim connect the dots in his mind because he relaxed ever so slightly, and was that disappointment? Surely not...

"For your own peace of mind."

And that statement made the emotion Edward thought he saw on the kid's face even more incredulous and unlikely.

"Something like that," he answered, then decided to change the subject.

"So, what's going to happen now?"

At that, Selim sighed again giving him that 'fine, I'll humor you' look that teenagers always seemed to know. It was an amusing expression to see on his face. "As you probably already know, I will be going into the military. They aren't really giving me a choice. I go and work for them and I can live. At least that's what Mustang said."

"Not too bad of a deal," Edward commented. "Considering."

"Of course not," Selim said bitterly. "It's only another restriction on what little freedom I've retained."

Edward frowned at that. "Yeah, about that. You never seemed like the type to care about freedom before. When did that change?"

Selim slumped even further down. "After I lost my memories, I didn't even realize how important my ability to choose was, let alone consciously acknowledge what I could do with it. Before that, all that mattered was Father's plans. I think that is how all of the Homunculi thought. Well, all except Greed, but he didn't care for freedom so much as he cared to fill that hole inside of him that represented his sin. You even said as much in your book, didn't you?"

Edward felt his eyes widen just a little at that and he raised one eyebrow. "You read our book?"

Selim smiled wryly. "Of course I read your book. It was the only one that gave me the answers I had been searching for."

Edward nodded. That made sense, he supposed. "Well, a lot of what we wrote in there was conjecture based almost exclusively on our altercations during our youth and comparison of you and the other homunculi."

"Pretty accurate guesses," Selim muttered.

"Thanks," Edward responded cheekily as the homunculus rolled his eyes.

"In any case, these last few weeks have given me a new perspective. For the first time in my 300 years of existence, I had the chance to focus on myself, on who I was and what I wanted. It…was enlightening. I am not, and I suspect that perhaps I have not been all along, who I thought I was. I never would have learned that otherwise without that freedom."

"You don't want to live for someone else, huh?" Ed asked, contemplating the words with a thoughtful expression.

Selim's brow furrowed. "No, that's not it. I…I don't mind living for other people. I just want to live for people who are truly worthy of the time and effort I wish to give. People who will reciprocate that dedication instead of those who will use it and then discard it when it becomes convenient."

"Sounds pretty proud to me," Ed said wryly, glancing over at the homunculus. Before Selim could retort, though, he continued. "Then again, pride often comes from loyalty, and loyalty can inspire pride. That isn't necessarily a bad thing. And you do still have the ability to make your own choices now, so not everything was taken from you."

Selim seemed somewhat appeased, but still didn't look as if he liked how Ed had quipped at him like that. "Perhaps not, but…"

"You still want it back," Edward couldn't help but finish as he rubbed his metallic leg absently.

"Yes," Selim whispered. "I still want it back."

More silence between them, this one thoughtful and longing.

"What is General Wannabe going to have you do?" Edward asked after several moments, deciding to speak up as he didn't like that silence and he was genuinely curious. Just where was there room in the Military for someone with Selim's…talents? Espionage? Assassination? Edward repressed a shudder.

Selim shrugged in response. "I told him that as long as they don't send me to kill anyone I'll do just about whatever they want. I don't really care at the moment and I do not see that changing."

This kid was just full of surprises today. "That doesn't seem like a stipulation you would have a problem with."

The homunculus slumped a little further. "I don't want to be Pride anymore." He frowned as if examining the thought. "I don't want to be Selim either. Truthfully, I don't know what I want, but I think that my refusing to kill humans was what gave Selim a fighting chance—why I didn't end up becoming that monster again and why I ever had a shot at freedom to begin with. Just going around killing people like I did before would be like me giving up everything I've worked for."

That, perhaps more than anything else, allowed Edward to relax. "Maybe we're more alike than I wanted to admit after all," he commented in slight annoyance. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Selim frown in annoyance.

"Please, don't remind me."

And again, Edward laughed, deeply and heartily. When he calmed down, he noticed Selim watching him with the same expression he'd had earlier. "Maybe I can give you a few Alchemy tips."

Selim rolled his eyes. "Please. I already know just about everything about Alchemy that anyone can know."

"In theory," Edward pointed out, more than pleased to be getting the better of his former rival. "Bet you'll give the other alchemists a run for their money though," he conceded before his companion could respond.

In response, Selim just smirked quietly, eyes fixed on the running water below.

"I hear they do a sort of academy training for alchemists these days," Edward continued. "Bet you'll fly through it and graduate by this time next month."

Selim looked rather pleased with that comment. "You are probably correct, if I were joining the Military immediately."

Ed paused, cocking his head to the side. "You're not?" At Selim's head shake he couldn't help but press. "How did you pull that off?"

"I simply pointed out that I'm still only fifteen."

"You're over 300," Edward replied, face deadpan.

Selim snickered. "It is funny you would say that. General Mustang said almost the exact same thing in the exact same tone. Is that why you don't like him, little alchemist? Because you're too much alike?"

That quickly, Edward's smile disappeared, replaced by a scowl. "I'm not little, I'm not an alchemist and I am not like him!"

The homunculus' smirk grew, although he didn't turn to look at the human next to him.

"I am over three hundred," Selim finally continued. "As a homunculus. I still only have fifteen years of human experience. I need more. I think they're going to need some time to prepare for me in the Military because Mustang conceded rather quickly. He just reiterated that they would be watching me in the mean time. I, of course, wouldn't have expected any differently."

"Of course," Edward said, his good humor beginning to return.

"So, do you know what you want to do now?"

The brown-haired boy snorted. "Didn't I just explain that all to you?"

"That's what's going to happen, not what you want," Ed pointed out, noting that he used the same tone that he had with his own children and wondering if Selim would catch on.

He did get Ed's connotations, but didn't seem to notice his tone. "No, I'm still not completely sure," he mumbled. "Which is why I'm just going along with their plans, I suppose."

Ed smiled. "No one ever is sure, no matter what they say."

"Speaking from experience, are you?" The former Alchemist supposed Selim _could_ be more bitter somehow if he worked at it.

After a moment, Ed shrugged. "When I was eleven, I was sure I wanted my mom back, no matter the cost. When I was 13, I was sure I could handle being a State Alchemist, no matter what they had me do. When I was 14, I just wanted the philosopher's stone, no matter what it took to get it. I thought I was sure. I wasn't. So yeah, I'd say I'm speaking from experience."

Again the silence stretched between them, anticipatory but not uncomfortable.

"That…was not something I expected to hear from you," Selim finally said.

Edward couldn't help but chuckle a bit at that. "What can I say? I've wised up in my old age."

He could have sworn that he saw another smile on the homunculus' face, one of exasperated fondness, but it was gone in the next instant.

They continued to sit in the quiet after that, the only sound being that of children playing or people passing by on the street behind them. Funnily enough, it took the military almost another half hour to locate them. When they did, the soldiers simply walked up to them and told Selim to follow them, please.

Without so much as an argument, the homunculus did so.

Edward also stood to follow, walking behind the group that had more or less formed around Selim. He found he felt relieved that he'd decided to spare Selim all those years ago. It wasn't always that the split-second decisions he made with his heart instead of his head turned out so well. It almost hadn't turned out so well this time. And yet, something about how the situation was coming along made him glad that he could still make those kinds of decisions after everything he and Al had been through.

He had never been an optimist, but he could handle being a hopeful cynic if it gave people like Selim a chance to change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What? I had to get another Ed perspective in before I ended it.


	31. Chapter 31

"First day of school," Johan groaned. "Why, Selim? Why do we have to go back?"

Selim raised his eye in wry amusement at his friend. They were walking down the old, familiar road that would lead them to their school building, taking in the warm, morning weather of late summer as their last glimpse of the holiday freedom vanished with the rising sun.

"Because you have to become a more productive member of society and I have to learn how to be a human."

"You're already more human than you think," Johan muttered with a roll of his eyes. Then he turned to face Selim as they walked. "Why are we going to school to do all of that? We could do just as well at home!"

Selim scoffed. "With everyone in the military breathing down my neck? No, thank you. It will be difficult enough as it is."

"But it's school!" Johan moaned.

Selim reached over and whacked his friend on the back of the head. "Stop whining. It's annoying."

"Ouch!" Johan yelped, rubbing the back of his head and backing away from Selim, only to have his heel catch on a depression in the road. With another shout, he fell onto his backside, eyes wide in surprise.

Selim couldn't help it. He laughed. The picture of his slightly over-weight friend thumping onto the ground like that would make anyone laugh. Well, anyone but the one who had fallen.

"Ha, ha, very funny," Johan muttered as he got to his feet and began dusting himself off. "It's nice to know you can still laugh," he grumbled.

Selim's merriment calmed, but he allowed the smile to remain on his face. "It is, actually. Pride didn't laugh a lot. Selim did."

"Yeah, yeah," Johan said as he started off down the road again, allowing Selim to fall into step beside him for the second time that day. "I've been hearing stuff like that all summer."

"And if you continue to remain in my presence, you will continue to hear it."

Johan paused for a moment, head turned up in thought. "That'll be awkward to explain at school," he finally said just as the building in question came into view.

Selim saw it and for a moment he froze. There it stood, the same structure with the same students—the same humans—running around inside of it. It almost seemed surreal and out of date—like it wasn't pertinent to anything in Selim's life anymore.

The questions rose in the back of his mind as he continued to stare it down. He'd come so far since he'd last seen it. He'd regained three hundred years of memories, had two separate personalities in his head merge, learned alchemy, relearned how to use shadows, visited Xing, gone on the run, been captured by the military and risked his life to rescue his friends. Everything else seemed like it had been a lifetime ago, and in a way, it had been.

"Selim? What's wrong?" Johan asked. The dark-haired boy looked over at his friend, almost having forgotten he was there.

"What am I doing?" he asked Johan.

The boy looked confused. "What?"

Selim's eyes were drawn back to the school. "Perhaps you are right. I don't belong there. Coming here was a mistake." Not to mention the idea of facing everyone knowing that he had changed so much…

A loud thump and pain at the back of his head had him stumbling forward in surprise.

"Oh, shut up," Johan said, irritated. "You belong there just as much as anyone else, so don't you even start going off on me like that."

Selim put a hand to the back of his head, staring at his friend. "You…just hit me."

"Yeah, and I'll do it again if you start talking like that again," the other boy threatened.

The homunculus blinked at his friend. "You know, Pride would have killed you for that."

"Yeah, but as you keep saying, you're not Pride."

Selim continued to stare, wondering why his mind couldn't seem to wrap around the concept of his friend's words. After a moment, Johan's expression softened.

"Look, it's not like I know you can't kill me if you wanted to, I just know you won't. That's what I told my parents and it's what I'll always believe."

Selim felt a soft smile touch his lips at the heart-felt words. No matter how many times he heard Johan say them, he still felt like he didn't deserve them.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

"Yeah, yeah," Johan said, waving the appreciation away with a slight blush on his cheeks. He wasn't the only one unused to heart-felt expressions from his peers. "Come on, we'd better not be late for class or Mustang'll send Mandy after us."

He took off down the road again.

"Oh, the horror," Selim said sarcastically as he followed.

"It is horrible! That girl has no concept of personal space or when to shut the heck up or anything! How you could stand to be around her for so long it a mystery to me."

Selim shrugged, despite knowing that Johan wouldn't see it. "I put up with you, don't I?"

And, with all the maturity and wisdom of a three year old, Johan turned and stuck his tongue out.

Yes, going back would be strange, but this normalcy—this was worth everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this wasn't posted sooner. I have no excuses.


	32. Epilogue

_3 years later..._

Captain Manice Johnston walked down the halls of the Central Government Headquarters admiring the new decorations on his lapels. He'd only just been promoted and couldn't help but hold his head just a little higher and stand just a little taller. Manice was already a rather tall person; standing at 191 cm, it wasn't often that he didn't tower above most of the people around him.

Which was probably why he didn't see the person who had crossed his path just as he'd turned the corner.

Manice wasn't a bad guy, or normally even a mean one (quite the contrary on most occasions), but today he'd felt particularly proud and somehow, ending up on his butt in the middle of the floor in the hallway didn't exactly figure into his plans. He quickly got to his feet, knowing that the only thing he'd really bruised was his pride, but he felt the sting particularly strong today.

"Why don't you look where you're going," he snapped at the other person, only then noticing that it was a younger boy with short, brown hair. He couldn't be older than 18, and he wasn't wearing a uniform. "Are you even military? What are you doing here?"

The boy stood there looking at Manice with a considering expression. He didn't say anything.

"I asked you a question! Are you a civilian?"

The boy seemed to come to a conclusion and shrugged as if to say 'why not'. "No," he answered simply, and didn't offer anything else. This, of course, only served to make Manice even angrier.

"Name and rank, then. Now!"

The expression on the kid's face went through several changes, the first being a displeased frown, the second a sort of amused realization and the third…well, Manice hadn't ever been looked at like he was a piece of meat before. It unnerved him, even if he wouldn't ever admit it.

"You know, people like you are the reason why it was so easy for so long to control everything from behind the scenes. And I am asking myself, yet again, why I bother putting up with…this again." The boy shuddered as he looked Manice up and down. Apparently he was far from impressed.

By this point, the captain knew his face had gone a bright shade of red and he was ready to make this rookie's life miserable for the next several years. Must come from some rich family where he'd gotten his every wish. He wasn't like most of the rest of the army who came from the lower and middle class—those people who had to _work_ to get where they were. People like Manice.

He opened his mouth to give out a reprimand, but a call stopped him.

"Major! There you are!" A young woman, obviously a new recruit herself, came running up to them, gray eyes focused on the brat. Then she turned around, causing her short, brown hair to fly out around her with the movement, and yelled behind her. "Sir! I found him!"

A woman with dark hair slicked away from her face and Lt. Colonel stripes on her shoulder rushed around the corner looking for the world as if she was about to murder someone. Manice gulped quietly and studied the kid again. He had to be an alchemist. That was the only explanation for his rank. That thoroughly soured the new Captain's day. Perhaps he could back out of this quietly and then hope he could log a complaint about him being out of uniform in an authorized-only area later. Still, part of him wanted to also see the bratty kid get verbally torn apart too. It would serve him right.

"I cannot _believe_ you! Our first day on the job—our first official _mission_ together—and you _ditch_ me before we're even out of the building!"

The boy blinked at her. If her higher rank made him nervous at all, he didn't show it, much to Manice's annoyance.

"As I understood it, we were supposed to approach the mission separately."

"But not before comparing notes! And I am _not_ going to deal with this through your shadows! Those are supposed to be a last resort! You know how tired they make you!"

The boy…well, pouted. Manice found himself more and more annoyed with the brat, higher rank or not.

"They do not tire me as they used to."

The Lt. Colonel wouldn't have any of it. "Oh, no. I have written orders this time, brat."

The boy alchemist's expression flattened. "Of the two of us, you are younger. Don't call me brat." And that made absolutely no sense at all. She was obviously older than him. It must be some code they were working out or something.

"Don't call me brat, _please_ ," the girl corrected, pointing to the stripes on her shoulder. "Lieutenant Colonel Mandy Parkins, remember? I still outrank you. Besides, what would you rather me call you? Cutie?"

That lit a spark in the boy's eyes. Right about this point, Captain Johnston decided that code or not, right now might be a good time to cut his losses and leave. He'd just turned around to do just that, but apparently the movement caught the Lt. Colonel's eye.

"Oh, my apologies. I didn't see you there, Captain."

Manice froze and tried to hide his wince. Somehow he knew that this…would not end well.

The Major's smug voice confirmed that. "The Captain, here, was inquiring as to my name and rank. We…ran into each other and our…pride was damaged a bit, I think."

Lt. Col. Parkins sighed. "Oh, you didn't just…"

The Captain schooled his expression, turned and bowed. "You have my apologies, sir."

The boy waved his hand nonchalantly. "It was an honest mistake."

Lt. Col. Parkins seemed taken back by the comment as she blinked and whipped her head around to stare at he young companion. The boy apparently noticed because he returned her gaze.

"What?"

"I…just didn't expect that from you," she said after a moment. Then she smiled a soft, genuine smile. "I'm proud of you."

The boy just rolled his eyes. "And now who's using puns?"

The woman shrugged. "I meant it."

Just then, the younger girl—Manice had completely forgotten she was there—whispered to him (and he most definitely did _not_ jump).

"Apparently, they do this all the time, sir. From what I understand, they've known each other for a while now."

"Besides," the Major unknowingly cut in, "of course I would dismiss this incident. You didn't expect me to eat him, did you?"

That comment took Manice's day from a normal spiral downward and into a sort of worrisome Alice-and-wonderland. Eat him? Why would he say something like that? It had to be code...right?

"Like the rats?" the Lt. Col. Asked.

"I was hungry."

"Or the dog."

"It was a mongrel and I probably got more from the fleas than from it and it was dying anyway. I merely put the poor thing out of its misery. Besides, you know very well I've kept my word and haven't even touched any humans."

Manice remembered the hungry glitter he'd seen in the kid's eyes earlier and hoped he didn't pale visibly.

Clearing his throat, he gave a slight, very fast bow. "If you'll excuse me, I must be going. Good day, sirs!" he cut in quickly. He did not like where this was going and couldn't quite bring himself to believe them, but also couldn't quite bring himself to disbelieve them either. So he did what he felt was the most prudent and withdrew from the situation.

As he hurried down the hall, he heard the brat say, "Aw, look, you scared him off."

Followed by the girl's reply of, "I will report this to the Fuehrer."

And Captain Manice Johnston decided he was better off not knowing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FIN


End file.
